There are quite a few foreign language courses online that make the process of learning to speak another language accessible to everyone and flexible enough to fit into your busy lifestyle. So if you’re still undecided about whether you should study English as a Second Language, here are our Top 5 reasons why you should: 1. L earning a foreign language can increase the size of your brain. English is the global language of business. Play. For starters, it’s been said time and time again that learning a second language makes you smarter.We all want our minds to stay young and sharp, and this is a great way to give ourselves a rejuvenating boost in the brain department.. There are tons of benefits to learning a second language. Even President Obama is among the majority – Obama admitted to not being fluent in a second language, but has spoken about the importance of multilingualism to improving individual job prospects and boosting America’s international links. It is indeed perfectly true to say that for most French Canadians French is the 'first language,' 'L1,' or 'mother tongue. Everybody has different reasons for learning a language (or not). Foreign language learning in Australia is in serious decline, as we are well into the second decade of the so-called Asian Century. Better job prospects and richer lives are among the many reasons to learn a foreign language, an expert on foreign language instruction writes. Should schools require that students learn a second language? Not only does it help you improve your brain health but it also increases your career prospects. Here are 18 benefits of learning a second language and how it can improve your career and overall wellbeing. english language statistics English is currently one of the most widely spoken and written languages worldwide, with some 380 million native speakers. A person's second language, or L2, is a language that is not the native language (first language or L1) of the speaker, but is learned later (usually as a foreign language, but it can be another language used in the speaker's home country).A speaker's dominant language, which is the language a speaker uses most or is most comfortable with, is not necessarily the speaker's first language. Learning a second language was only deemed important if it is a major world language for 15% of the population. Plus, learning a language is FUN! — How much is foreign-language … The use of technology and social media , both in and outside the classroom, is another reason students are loving languages! English-language learners worldwide are largely divided into two groups: The British Council says that there are 750 million English as a foreign language speakers and 375 million English as second language learners. Why You Should Learn Another Language Those who speak more than one language have a greater chance of succeeding in business. Copy the code below to embed the WBUR audio player on your site Copy embed code. According to the most recent statistics, English is the mother tongue of more than 375 million people. Another challenge emerges when looking at the languages these students are learning, too. Scott Chacon is CEO of the online language learning company Chatterbug.. By Kashmira Gander ... "It means we may need to go back to the drawing board in trying to explain why adults have trouble learning language." They’re learning two sets of vocabulary and speech sounds. My advice would be to be encouraging and patient. It may seem tough (or even impossible) now, but the rewards you can reap are … Learning a second language has been correlated with improved reading ability in sixth-graders, to improved scores on the ACT and SAT, and academic success in college for high school students. 1. 'But for English native speakers in Canada French is a 'second language' or 'L2.' The average high school graduate spends two years studying a foreign language. Employers love it. foreign languages (National Bureau of Statistics of. BBC Languages - Learn Languages in your own time and have fun with Languages of the world. Students who take classical languages, like Latin and Greek, benefit, too. Updated July 17, … Despite the current limitations of most curricula, such classroom experience can, however, form a solid foundation for truly learning a foreign language. In most European countries, students begin studying their first foreign language as a compulsory school subject between the ages of 6 and 9. If people don’t understand you all you have to … Why There's A Language Learning Gap In The United States 10:49. — If you were to study a new language, what would it be and why? X. If you’ve ever considered learning a second language, below are just some of the many reasons why you should finally commit to becoming bilingual. Benefits of … Learning a second language can be done through many different avenues as opposed to math, which must be done in procedures, working out a problem. ... A person's native language background exerts constraints on the brain's automatic responses while learning a second language. But the investment is well worth it. 1. And when it comes to today’s global society, learning a second language could prove to be a huge advantage. There are many good reasons to learn English as second language. The opportunity and resources to learn a foreign language are much more easily available today than in the past. By Lisa Chau , Contributor Jan. 29, 2014 A guide to which languages are most widely spoken, hardest to learn … Everyone has their own reason for why it’s important to learn a second language. But by now, I hope I’ve managed to convince at least some of you of the amazing rewards that learning another language can bring. Years ago people believed that learning a second language would confuse a child. Learning any language requires time and effort, but that doesn’t mean that it should be viewed as a chore. Scientists Pinpoint Best Age to Learn a Second Language. Of course, it’s not an easy process, and it does take time and effort. Through the global influence of native English speakers in cinema, music, broadcasting, science, and the Internet in recent decades, English is now the most widely learned second language in the world. Language use, English-speaking ability, and linguistic isolation data are collected in the ACS. Now, research shows that children who study a foreign language perform better in their native language than non-bilingual students, as measured on standardized tests. China, 2001). This freedom to learn in a variety of ways creates an environment in a classroom that teaches multiple ways of learning and skills. 'For them, English is a 'second language' or 'L2. Bilingual children have a tougher task than those learning only a single language. Learning the rules for their first language might have enabled them to get them right for the second one. From: Omniglot – Why Should I Learn a Language Many English speakers seem to believe that wherever you go on holiday you can get by speaking English, so there’s no point in learning any other languages. Learning a language—and especially using it in real situations—can be a lot of fun. There are more than 6,000 different languages spoken all over the world, but English is and will continue to be a common means of communication for speakers of all languages. The inability of too many Americans to learn or speak anything but English constitutes a foreign language "emergency" that could end up harming the … If you are interested in working for one of the world’s top organisations, chances are that English will be the language … Choosing which of these to teach our children as a second language is an important decision, but one that may be based more on feelings than facts. It can be challenging for those of us living in a country with a dominant language to establish a functional purpose for the second language. Studying a second foreign language for at least one year is compulsory in more than 20 European countries. Why Learn a Second Language? Second, the youngest learners we included were aged seven when they came to Germany. There are 7,099 known languages in the world today. Between the ages of 6 and 9 your site copy embed code, an on... 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