5. To improve chances of entry into college or graduate school
Today, most colleges and universities require a minimum
of two years of high school foreign language instruction for admission.
And once enrolled in an undergraduate program, students are likely
to find that their college or university prescribes foreign language
courses as requirement for the degree. The majority of universities
rightly consider knowledge of a foreign language and culture part
of what every educated person should know. Many majors in the arts
and humanities, in natural sciences and behavioral and social sciences,
and in professional fields, also require the study of one or more
languages to ensure success in the given field.
For those planning to continue on to graduate study in most any
field, knowledge of a second and sometimes even a third language
is often a prerequisite for admission. From mathematics to anthropology,
from biology to art history, you will find that many if not most
graduate programs require some kind of foreign language knowledge
of their applicants. In some programs, graduate students are required
to gain a reading knowledge of other languages as a degree requirement,
especially in doctoral programs. This is because important research
is often published in non-English language books and professional
journals.
Even when an undergraduate or graduate institution doesn't require
foreign language study, it's often recommended by programs. Knowing
a language can't hurt your application, and is highly likely to
make you a more competitive candidate in the admissions process.
These books are excellent examples of instructional
approaches intended to prepare candidates to meet graduate school
requirements:
German for Reading Knowledge, by Hubert Jannach, Richard Alan Korb, 336 p. (2004). This is THE book for teaching academic reading skills in German to students in the humanities, arts, and social sciences in particular. It can be used independently or as a course textbook to provide future researchers with the German abilities necessary to independently read and understand specialized literature in their fields.
French for Reading, by Karl C. Sandberg, Eddison C. Tatham, 526p. (1997). The book's preface underscores the need for graduate students to be versed in other languages: "A few years ago in one of the major universities in the United States a graduate student of botany was preparing to defend his doctoral dissertation.... [H]e was not sure of the meaning of a certain article in French in the general area of his dissertation. When he ad someone from the French Department translate it for him, he found that all of his research had been only the duplication of experiments performed by a French botanist two years before." The book teaches the learner the basic elements of French and gives opportunities to practice and test comprehension of the material. It's goal is to teach learners to read a text in French and to be able to understand it easily and accurately.
6. To appreciate international literature, music, and film
"The many great gardens of the world, of literature and poetry, of painting and music, of religion and architecture, all make the point as clear as possible: The soul cannot thrive in the absence of a garden. If you don't want paradise, you are not human; and if you are not human, you don't have a soul." - Thomas Moore, Irish poet, satirist, and composer
Most of the world's literary and artistic works have been written
in languages other than English. A translation of a text can never
be fully true to the intent, beauty, style, and uniqueness of its
original. A translation is always to a large degree subject to the
interpretation of the translator, not least because some elements
of languages simply don't have translations in other languages.
Word plays, metaphors, innuendoes, cultural references and culturally
loaded vocabulary words, and formulations unique to the original
language often get lost in translation. To be able to fully appreciate
literature, theater, music, and film in other languages, one must
be able to access them in their original form.
7. To make travel more feasible and enjoyable
"Here speeching American." - A sign in a Mallorcan shop entrance
"Cold shredded children and sea blubber in spicy sauce." - From a menu in China
"Refund!" - On a "Caution! Wet floor!" sign in a McDonald's restaurant in Italy
Though it's possible to travel to foreign countries without speaking
the native language, your experience will be largely shaped by your
ability or inability to see beyond the surface of the culture. When
you lack the ability to communicate in the native language, you
can not fully participate in day-to-day life, understand the culture,
or communicate with the people. The language barrier can be anywhere
from frustrating to downright dangerous. When you know the language,
you have the comfort of being able to successfully navigate all
sorts of situations, like order meals in restaurants, ask for and
understand directions, find accommodations and perhaps negotiate
cheaper prices, and meet and talk with natives, to name only a few.
In most countries, people will appreciate attempts to use their
language. You will be able to communicate more completely and have
a deeper, more satisfying travel experience.
It's true that in tourist areas English may be spoken. However,
even if the natives know some English, many are uncomfortable speaking
it, particularly beyond their limited interactions with tourists.
In addition, these well-beaten paths are not places where you will
get to know the country you're visiting -- they cater to tourists
and provide a watered-down and often stereotypical and commercialized
version of the culture both to meet and profit from tourists' expectations.
If you intend to stray from the tourist centers and explore the
real country and really get to know it, you must know the
language. Your language ability will allow you to see and do things
that many visitors cannot.
