The Importance of Foreign Languages

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In schools you will find that the Head of Modern Foreign Languages is always blathering on about the importance of studying languages.  And quite frankly, they are right to do so.

However, for many in compulsory education, the opportunity to study either French, German or Spanish is challenging and often daunting.  I must agree.  Having studied French from Year 7 to AS Level, and German from Year 8 to A2, I can say with absolute certainty that learning a foreign language certainly presents its difficulties.  It is not helped by the fact that many students have a negative view of the department as a whole and deem language learning unnecessary and a deeply dissatisfactory experience. 

Here I must disagree with a majority population.  There are differing opinions regarding MFL departments across the country, but that is not the premise of this article.  Whilst in a subject such as maths, the core content can be taught in accordance to each individual’s needs and learning capabilities, this is not so easy with regards to foreign languages. Personally, I believe that this is not helped by the lack of understanding we have of the English language itself.  Perhaps if we had been taught about the pluperfect, the passive and the subjunctive tenses, as examples, in the same way we’re taught them in French, German or Spanish, maybe then we would comprehend the material better.

Language learning is exciting and offers an array of prospects for the future, although this can be hard for a Year 7, or even some GCSE students, to see.  My personal belief is that without access to languages other than one's own mother tongue, it can be difficult to enter the social world of others as languages are an important cognitive tool for developing an understanding of that country's norms and values. 

Honestly, if people were not so narrow-minded to the idea of multiculturalism and linguistics, MFL departments wouldn’t be seen in such a negative light by many of the students it teaches to the best of its ability.  However, having been a language student for many a year, I think that such departments are pretty fab and they do a wonderful job, offering great insights into cultures otherwise alien to us.