To Learn or Not to Learn Foreign Languages?

Have you noticed that universal craziness about foreign languages? Everyone seems to study them now, even if there is no practical use in it. What’s the point in learning a language?

The way people live in the modern society requires new standards of communication and that is why it is an essential demand of the contemporary society to be able to speak foreign languages. A foreign language is an important advantage for an experienced specialist in any field. Higher education cannot be called complete without at least one foreign language.

Languages make possible the immediate access to the hottest technological information all over the world. It is very useful in business as well. Any businessman will confirm the statement that ability to use your partner’s language helps to establish the so-called personal contact that makes your negotiations more efficient. You will always be respected for attempts to be closer to the culture of your partners.

However, not only scientists and businessmen need languages. When travelling abroad, a person has an opportunity to get acquainted with other cultures, traditions, and different mentality. It is easier to do by means of their language. It makes for understanding and tolerance towards other people’s views, and it is very important in our vulnerable world. To sum it all up, learning other languages is not a matter of fashion that can change in a year or two. The importance of it is apparent, and you would hardly be valuable member of the contemporary integrated society if you feel absolutely helpless in communicating with non-Russian people. The earlier we realize it the better.

As you see, there are very important reasons to learn languages; it can never be called wasting of time. Firstly, it is essential if you want to meet the demands of an educated person. Foreign languages can educate – they help to accept the variety of mentalities existing in the world. Secondly, languages help other people to understand you while travelling abroad. Of course one can say that it is not difficult to feel comfortable on holidays, speaking only Russian, if you have chosen the right travel agency. But it is not so. It is not nice to be dependent on interpreters and travel agents. There is no pleasure in looking at advertisements and menus without understanding what it is all about. And thirdly, it’s business. Each profession requires a certain language: Latin - for doctors, Ancient Greek – for archeologists, French or Italian – for researchers, and English – for businessmen.

TEXT 4. Read the text. Answer the questions below.

A Language Teacher’s Personal Opinion

Every day I see advertisements in the newspapers and on the buses saying that it is easy to learn English. According to these advertisements, with very little effort on the students’ part, they will be able to speak the language fluently in three month or even ten days. When I see ads like this, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. If it were as easy to learn English as they say I would have to look for another job because very few qualified teachers would be needed. But a large number of people must believe these claims. If people didn’t believe it, such advertisements would not appear.

It is natural for students to be attracted to methods that will teach them as quickly, efficiently and cheaply as possible. But it is no use pretending that anyone has discovered a perfect way of teaching English in every possible situation.

For a long time people believed that the only way to learn a language was by spending a great deal of time in a country where it was spoken. Of course it is clear that the students who go to England to learn English have a great advantage over others, but a large number of students cannot afford to do so. Some students go to the opposite extreme and think they can teach themselves at home by learning words in dictionaries. But it is wrong to assume that each word in English has an equivalent in another language and that any translation method can produce good pronunciation and intonation.

In my personal opinion no one can ever learn to speak English or other language unless he is interested in learning it. There is another relevant point worth mentioning here. One should remember that language learning is an active thing that needs effort and time. It is worth remembering that language is a means of communication.

So students of English should forget about being shy, nervous, afraid of saying something incorrect or silly and should start learning by talking. It’s far better to make a few mistakes than to say nothing. If you make the effort to speak you’ll find that little by little you’ll get more confidence and enjoy speaking.

But a large number of people must believe these claims.Но многие люди, должно быть, верят этим утверждениям.

It is natural for students to be attracted …Естественно, что студентов привлекают …

But it is no use pretending …Бесполезно притворяться …

Questions

1. What do advertisements say about learning English?

2. How does the teacher feel about such advertisements?

3. How would students like to learn English?

4. What belief about learning a foreign language was shared by people some years ago? What is the opposite extreme?

5. What does the teacher think of the ways in which a foreign language should be learned?