Foreign languages benefit lifestyles

People often underestimate the power of language. Language can help define a culture. It is how we express ourselves—our feelings, our desires and our way of looking at the world. In an era of globalization, language has become an even more important aspect of our lives.

There are many benefits to studying a foreign language and immersing yourself in the culture of a language. The younger a person is when they begin to learn a language, the easier it is to remember the language at an older age. I first began learning German when I was eight years old.

I would learn pages of words out of a book—things like numbers, colors, shapes, animals and places. It was kind of like a game, a series of secret code words that only my dad and I knew. We would sometimes make Gerlish sentences when we didn't know all of the words in German.

I stopped learning the language for a few years until eighth grade, when I was allowed to go the high school for extended learning. It was during my German I class when I realized how lucky I had been to have already learned bits of the language at a young age.

I found that I was able to pick up on new words and phrases much more quickly than the students who were just beginning. I also found that pronunciation and word recall were easier.

By the time I was a junior in high school, I was practically fluent. The summer after my junior year, my German class took a three and a half week trip to Germany, where we traveled for two weeks and lived with host families for the rest of the trip.

By the time I came home, I had actually started thinking and occasionally dreaming in the language. It's strange how the mind can so quickly adapt to its surroundings.

Speaking a foreign language can completely change your perspectives on culture and life. The language literally puts you in a new mindset, allowing you to think beyond what you've grown up with.

German is very closely related to English. While reading The Lord of the Rings series, I found a great interest in Tolkien's choices for names. One example is Mordor, where Frodo and Sam have to take the ring for its destruction. The root of the word Mordor is the same as the words morgue and mortuary-- obviously a place you don't want to be.

Mordor also shares a root with the German word, ermorden, or, to murder. Being able to recognize these kinds of connections allows the reader to become more closely connected to what he or she is reading.

I find it sad that schools across the country are cutting foreign language classes in efforts to better prepare students for the reading, writing and arithmetic portions of standardized testing. In their efforts to make students proficient in the basics, they’re taking away the opportunities to challenge advanced students academically.

Knowing another language can also come in handy in the job market. Companies all over the world look for people fluent in English and other languages, especially in the area of international business. Europeans dominate this market because they are required to learn several languages as early as third grade.

After two years of not speaking German regularly, I've lost nearly all of the words I had learned since eighth grade. However, I do remember the ones from when I was younger. Next year, I plan to take German classes again, in an effort to regain what I've lost.

I encourage people to teach their kids a foreign language when they are young or to learn a new language themselves. As we enter into a society of globalization, language and communication can only grow in importance and can be the key to opening up the entire world to anyone.