Should I take a language?

If you are anything like me, taking Spanish in high school was equivalent to trying to get a newborn to talk. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t that I didn’t try it was that I it just seemed so “foreign”. My Spanish classes in high school were me sitting in class for 50 minutes starring at the teacher trying to think of what she was saying.  However, I managed to take four years of Spanish but still ultimately only developed the skill set of what a 5 year old in a Spanish speaking country has. I was inspired to write about this because I recently went on a service trip to the Dominican Republic, and NO ONE spoke any English. So you could imagine the struggle.Ron
I have always heard that learning another language such as Spanish or Mandarin or even Arabic can be the difference between you or someone else getting a job. Knowing how to speak another language 100% creates advantages for you in the workforce especially in business. According to a U.S. News and World Report, learning another language for business purposes can not only open up different career paths for you, but lead to an increase in pay as well. In addition, learning another language can increase your overall general intelligence. A new study, as illustrated in ScienceDaily, state thats learning a second language at a young age can change the shape of the brain which results in enhanced memory and intelligence moving forward in life.
Companies are looking for employees who can connect with other people on a different level than just whatever business they are in, so learning a new language is a very important skill to have. If you are interested in business, like I am, knowing a second language can globalize your potential to find a job; and that is the ultimate goal for anyone graduating from college.

So next semester when you are debating between a language or jogging class, I strongly advise you to take the language; it will definitely pay off.

Image: http://cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/500x/32178556.jpg
Sources: http://mtpr.org/post/importance-learning-foreign-languages#stream/0

http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/economic-intelligence/2014/01/29/the-business-benefits-of-learning-a-foreign-language

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130829124351.htm

8 thoughts on “Should I take a language?

  1. Lauren Eve Ribeiro

    I agree that learning another language can be a little boring, but in the end it is what sets you apart from others. Both my parents were born and raised in Portugal before moving here, so i’ve always been able to pick up some foreign languages easier than others from hearing it around my house. After finishing Spanish 3 (the language level required to be in Smeal College of Business), I decided to continue my Spanish education and take Spanish 100 as a way to differentiate myself once I start looking for a job. I think although it is super tedious, I think it will pay off in the end especially if I decide to study abroad.

  2. Casey Patrick Brennan

    Overall being bi-lingual in any field of work is very helpful, and looks impressive on any resume. The reason so many of us struggle with learning a new language is because most public school systems don’t start teaching kids a language until middle school, and by then our minds aren’t as malleable as they were when we were younger. Here’s an article explaining this phenomenon: http://www.languagestars.com/program-overview/programs/parents-and-tots/14-programs/curriculum/66-the-benefits-of-learning-language-young.html

  3. Samantha Liebensohn

    Honestly, what attracted me to this blog post was the picture, so thanks for the laugh! But after reading this post I could really relate to you. I’ve taken Spanish since seventh grade and after graduating High school I really only knew the basics. However, I took Spanish my freshmen year and was so intrigued by how much my professors cared about their students actually learning the culture and language that I found myself learning more in one semester then I did the past 6 years of my life. I encourage you to continue learning Spanish, here’s a website for beginners that I found very helpful: http://www.veintemundos.com/en/learn-spanish/beginners/

  4. Michael Gerard Shevlin

    Learning a second language is definitely important when looking for jobs and increasing overall intelligence. More and more jobs are becoming global and are requiring communication in multiple languages, especially business positions. However, learning a new language also has some serious health benefits. According to this BBC article..http://www.bbc.com/news/health-27634990 , learning a second language can slow down dementia for many years!

  5. Hugo Almeida

    I 100% agree with the importance of speaking another language in the business world. I’m have Ecuadorian and do quite a bit of traveling throughout Latin America so I understand how you feel about being submerged in a “foreign” language. I recommend you stick with the path to becoming bilingual becomes it will drastically improve your future as you already stated. Heres 6 reason why you should become bilingual.
    http://blogs.transparent.com/language-news/2014/10/27/6-ways-bilingualism-can-further-your-career/

  6. Thomas Garvin

    I found this blog to be very motivational for me. I took spanish throughout all of high school yet still fail to put a coherent sentence together. I know that it will help me in my professional career and that is why I have taken it first semester of my freshman year in college. However, I feel as though its important to recognize what are of work you would like to see yourself in and then take a specific language that may help you in that area. Heres a link to how learning a certain language may help you in the future: http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/economic-intelligence/2014/01/29/the-business-benefits-of-learning-a-foreign-language

  7. evk5294

    I’ve been taking Spanish classes in some form since I was in Kindergarten and I still haven’t mastered it (or even come close). I think that if I were to put myself in a situation where I traveled abroad and was forced to embrace the language, I could maybe become fluent. Here is an article from Rosetta Stone which highlights a few common mistakes people make when trying to learn a new language. http://www.rosettastone.com/blog/language-learning-challenges-and-solutions/
    I think a lot of the issue with people from the United States in particular is that we aren’t exposed to a language in a way that lends itself to us becoming fluent.

  8. dwd5373

    As much as I don’t like learning another language I will agree it is very important . I want to proceed into the business world and I know it would be beneficial to be able to understand and communicate in a different language. That is why next semester I am taking Spanish. If you have any more tips I would love to know you wrote an awesome post!

Leave a Reply