1. What are some reasons why people learn a foreign language?
People learn foreign languages for all sorts of reasons. For some it’s out of necessity if to move abroad and start a new life in another country. They may find themselves like a fish out of water unless they can communicate with the natives. For others learning a language is a skill they’d like to learn, but don’t have to in order to succeed. People living in linguistically-diverse areas like Europe may want to learn a language to enable them to travel abroad and understand a foreign culture, and get more out of their holidays. They can also read foreign books and watch foreign films without having to use a translation. Others simply enjoy learning for learning’s sake and relish the intellectual challenge.
2. What are the benefits of learning a foreign language?
The obvious benefit to learning a foreign language is the ability to communicate with people who speak that language. In some cases, this can open up a world of possibilities for you. For instance, Spanish is spoken widely throughout South and North America, so even a basic grasp of the language can help you get by when talking to people in that part of the world. If you’re involved in business that trades with foreign companies then being able to speak to them in their native tongue can make things go a lot more smoothly. Now that China is becoming a major player in the world there’s a lot more people learning Mandarin, as well as many Chinese people who learning English.
3. What are the ways that a person can learn a foreign language?
There are thousands of books and CDs out on the market to help you learn a foreign language. In fact they’re a dime a dozen. But by far the best way to learn is to go to a country that speaks the language you want to learn and interact with the locals. That way you’ll soon be on the fast track to speaking like a natural, as you are constantly being exposed to the words and pronunciation you must learn if you are to become proficient. Learning from material resources is a lot easier than actually going abroad, and they can certainly help you get on the right lines, but they aren’t very useful beyond beginner’s level. At the very least you should try to get a teacher who’s a native speaker. That way you can learn authentic pronunciation and they can tell you with authority what is correct or not.
4. What do you think is the most difficult part of learning another language?
Languages are extremely varied and can sometimes have totally different systems of writing, grammar and speech. This is a natural consequence of history, where people developed in many places and with diverse cultures. For an English-speaking person trying to learn Chinese the writing system is totally alien, and it can be very hard to get your head around the idea of characters. Another problem area is pronunciation. Once we become adults it’s very hard for us to use our mouths in new ways, so pronouncing foreign words can be a nightmare. This can often lead to some hilarious misunderstandings as people pronounce words incorrectly.
