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More and more states have added a foreign language to their graduation requirements. You understand that learning a foreign language is valuable to your student’s education. But how do you answer them when they question why they should learn French or Spanish?

Many students find it hard to learn another language. It may not come quickly, but with perserverance, most people will achieve a minimum proficiency. Students usually prefer to pick a language that interests them. Students can learn French learn Spanish or Latin in most schools, but some schools offer Russian, German, or even Chinese.

So, why learn another language?

Better Scholastic Performance

You might expect that learning another language can enhance reading skills, and knowledge of English structure and vocabulary. More surprising, students who started learning a foreign language in kindergarten did better than national averages in all areas when they were in 5th grade, especially in mathematics. In addition, it improves:
– memory
– creativity
– communication and listening skills
– complex problem solving
– spatial abilities
– abstract thinking.

Perform Better on Standardized Tests

Much research had demonstrated that students who study a foreign language tend to score higher on standardized tests. The College Board, which provides the SAT, says that, students who completed at least four years of a foreign language scored more than 100 points higher on both the verbal and math portions of the SAT compared to students studying a half year or less.

Other studies correlate bilingual ability with higher scores on verbal and nonverbal IQ tests.

Study of a foreign language increases the college admissions rate. Students are generally more successful during college and more likely to graduate.

Learning a Foreign Language Enhances Career Opportunities

There are many ways knowing a foreign language can enhance your career. More and more businesses work closely with individuals in other countries, both inside their own company, or with other companies or governments. These businesses need individuals who can communicate in other languages and are aware of differences between cultures.

Increasing numbers of of people living in the U.S. speak languages other than English. In order to interact with as many people as possible, many professionals will benefit from knowing a second language. Here is a list of some of these jobs: government, military, translators and interpreters, medical personnel, social workers, teachers, police, firefighters, marketing, hospitality and many more.

Develop Understanding Of Different Societies

Globalization is a fact of life. You can see, living in this country, the impact of diverse cultures and lifestyles.

Learning a second language improves communication and cultural perspective. Studies have even found that foreign language learners are more accepting of the differences among people. The ability to discuss differences with people from other backgrounds benefits societies and improves global security.

So you can see that there really are many good reasons to learn to speak French speak Spanish or any other language.

If you would like an easy, inexpensive way to learn or improve your french, try the Rocket French program.

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