The Importance of Learning a Foreign Language - Anonymous

As a Bangladeshi person raised in multiple countries, I can not stress enough how important it is to learn a foreign language and how it can benefit you.

Some of the reasons why it is important are obvious. It allows people to communicate with each other. Learning a foreign language can allow you to talk to and understand more people than if you only know one language. And the reason why communication is significant is not just because it makes you “woke” and socially aware. Communication boosts productivity, increases chances for innovation through the sharing of ideas, ensures there is no room for misunderstanding and can deescalate situations.

My father always said to think of it in a more practical way. If by chance you get placed in a country from your job where a lot of people do not speak English you will struggle to get around. Not only will you not be able to talk to your coworkers, you won’t be able to talk to the cashier at a convenience store or a waiter at a restaurant. Learning a language or two more will save you from embarrassment and will make you look more qualified for that kind of job.

Being Bilingual is something one should aim for not just because it is commendable, but because it impacts your perspective and thinking pattern. As a multilinguall myself, knowing two languages that are almost completely different from each other (Bangla and English) made me look at languages in a different way. It made me view literature differently compared to other people. It is because I understand now that things can be expressed in so many different ways. In Bangla there are words that don't exist in the English language which makes me look at the world differently because I now have more ways to express myself and my thoughts and emotions now that I have the words. There are more words I can use to paint the picture in my mind. There are more ways to describe something if you know different languages than if you know one language (and no, I don’t mean just translating the word beautiful through different languages and copy pasting into a word doc.)

Knowing a foreign language with a different language is a difficult challenge, especially if the new language looks nothing like the English alphabet but it is helpful to all those people learning Spanish or French at school. Take it from me, knowing the letters of the Bangla alphabet and knowing how to pronounce them correctly helped me pronounce Spanish words and French words . You learn how to make a range of sounds with your voice which most people struggle to do because they aren’t used to making those sounds.

One thing that most people almost never consider is the media from the country that speaks a foreign language. There is a whole world of entertainment waiting for you to discover it, the only thing that blocks you is the language barrier.  I want people to enjoy literary works from the Bangladeshi poets. Poets who put their passion and love for their country and mother tongue onto paper when the people of Bangladesh fought for independence and the right to speak their own language. I want people to understand the meaning of the songs that were made and sung about the people who were murdered by their then Pakistani oppressors, songs that are so beautifully written. I want people to read books from Rabindranath Tagore who won the nobel prize in literature and other Bangladeshi writers.

 I want people to watch Bollywood movies and marvel at the talent of the actors I grew up watching without caring that it’s in Hindi. As Bangladesh neighbours India, I can understand Hindi, though I can’t read or write in it.  Bollywood has a big influence on Bangladesh despite the fact they speak different languages. If I am being honest I don’t remember when I first learned hindi. I never had to study it. I was just surrounded by so much Indian influence that it just sort of happened. The same thing with Bangla and English. It is like I have always known three languages.

I want people to just stop viewing languages as big obstacles and just get over language with the help of technology. In this day and age, what excuses do they have left anymore? All one really needs is the will, the time and the right motivation.

Foreign languages are something that people should try and learn, not just to connect with the people around the world but for work opportunities, avoiding embarrassing situations, to be able to enjoy other entertainments that are just as good as western pop culture and to be able to see the world in a more colorful and descriptive light