Recently, a friend of mine told me he would not be signing up for Spanish again next semester. He complained that it was too hard, took up too much of his time and followed on the assumption that everyone must eventually learn English so there was no need. Most public secondary school systems require at least two years of foreign language instruction to graduate; for some, this is the extent of their foreign language education.
I took a moment to reflect on what five years of French has meant to me, and did a little bit of research on what knowledge of a foreign language can mean for the rest of the world.
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First, it actually can improve your employment chances and provide economic benefits. According to The Economist, while half the world’s population may speak English by 2050, "even a 2 percent annual 'salary premium' can result in 6-digit returns in retirement."
This is not all. A study at the University of Chicago has proven bilingualism promotes long-term decision making, and removes an individual's tendency for "loss aversion," that is, it lessens the focus on the present to process decisions that may provide benefits in the long term. In addition, a psychological study determined that on average, children studying foreign languages perform better on standardized tests in math, reading and vocabulary than children who are monolingual.
All these scientific studies aside, however, there is something else about learning another language that goes quite unnoticed. It provides no monetary or cerebral benefit, but perhaps an emotional one. For those of you who have never studied another language, you only express your thoughts and your feelings in your first language, naturally. But one of the most fascinating things about foreign languages is their ability to express things in a way you never have.
Take this translation in French, for example. The English “I miss you” is “tu me manques.” Our French-to-English translation says it means “I miss you,” but if you take this phrase apart, it literally translates to “you are missing from me.” This distinction is so powerful; isn’t it true that when you miss someone, it is more accurate to say they are missing from you? As if they are a piece of you that isn’t present anymore? To hear expression in these different ways just makes humanity better able to relate to itself.
Learning a language other than your native tongue will mean more fulfilling travel experiences, more books to read, more knowledge to gain, more people to meet and more friends to make. Whether you place value on your future salary or your potential for cultural immersion, knowledge of a foreign language might very well be your most meaningful asset.
