From the beginning of time, humans have always longed for understanding and knowledge of one another. Most humans by nature are social, and therefore the thirst for knowledge and understanding will probably never quench.
I think there are many skills that one should master, but I think a secondary language is a skill that most people do not have but could benefit from mastering.
Learning a second language is beneficial because it allows humans to reach others in verbal communication easier. As one gets older, learning a secondary language becomes increasingly difficult, so the younger one is when learning other languages, the better.
Presently, countries such as China, Pakistan, Singapore, and India teach English as their second language. This may look like an advantage to English speaking people but this puts us at an exceptional disadvantage. The people that mastered the English language as a second language also have their own language as a base of communication. Should the Chinese, Pakistani, Indian or those from Singapore want to communicate in their own language, we will not be able to understand what they are saying, thus putting the non-speaker at a disadvantage.
Another reason it is beneficial to master other languages is that the world is fast becoming a smaller place; not necessarily in size but that, different cultures are fast becoming one big society. Our neighbor living down the street may have come from a country 5,000 miles away, and speak very little English. I think it would be nice to be able to communicate with them in their native tongue if the need arises and they speak very little English.
Statistics also have showed that infants and toddlers before the age of two learning a second language increased their intelligence and their understanding of the world around them. In fact, I conducted my own study with my own children. My oldest son Tyler who is 14 was never taught a second language at home. At the time he was pre-school aged, I did not know a second language fluently. I started learning Urdu, a language native to Pakistan as a second language five years ago because I wanted to better understand and communicate with my friends. My friend started teaching me the mechanics and basic language and sentence structure. My friend would send me Urdu educational resources and music, along with the words in Urdu and English. This was the fastest way I knew to learn since I loved music in general. I continued to lean Urdu even amidst being pregnant. I remember singing the songs, as I was pregnant with my last child. I sang these songs on a daily basis, not necessarily to her, but because I enjoy Pakistani music.
After she was born, I continued with my foreign language studies. I noticed, as I would listen to the music, my daughter responded to it by turning her head toward it, and later, dancing and learning words. This sparked my curiosities, and I began to talk to my daughter a few hours a day in the different languages I know. Sure enough, she understood what I said. To this day, I still speak in other languages to her, and she understands and now is learning to respond. This proved to me that the statistics were correct: Infants and toddlers learning a second language before the age of two did increase their intelligence and their understanding of the world around them. Children also could distinguish between the two languages spoken, as if their brain created a sub-folder where language is developed.
Learning a second language is also beneficial to those who wish to live and work outside their home country. I believe it would be not only beneficial, but also wise to master the language before moving to a particular country.
Some people still think that learning a new language or finding resources to learn a new language is extremely difficult. With the new age of technology, it is very easy to obtain information on other languages from the comfort of our own home. There is no more need to search for outside teaching if one wants to learn a second language, or listen to a record repeating phrase after phrase. One can search the internet for language programs, such as Rosetta stone. Rosetta stone is a computer-based program that allows one to learn a new language by immersing the person in every aspect of the language, such as culture, history, and of course, the words themselves. Rosetta stone teaches with picture and sound to create a virtual reality-learning environment. A person will learn because they Rosetta stone teach real life conversation.
In closing, not only is it beneficial for those who learn the foreign language learning a foreign language makes other cultures feel valued, and when other cultures are valued, we as humans overlook our differences and learn from each other, just as we have since the beginning of time.
