Some Thoughts on Second Language Acquisition. Part I: Why Learn a Language?

Some Thoughts on Second Language Acquisition.

Part I: Why Learn a Language?

Language is a necessity.  Apart from language we lack the most nuanced and versatile means of communication with our fellow humans.  Despite the centrality and necessity of language, language is incredibly complex and difficult to master.  This is true for both a first language and a second language.

In recognition of this, the powers that be have determined that all students ought to learn another language before graduation from high school.  The difficulty is that truly learning a language is incredibly difficult.  Therefore, in America (other countries do this much better), we have settled on the practice that requires just a basic introduction to a language and possibly offer an elective when the actual content of the language becomes more difficult.  The truth is, our system does not require competency in another language, but a mere exposure to another language.

Moving beyond the failures of the American education system, there are many benefits to learning a second language. 

Learning a second language improves one’s understanding of language in general.  The things which were often half understood implicitly are now encountered and understood in an explicit manner.  It was not until I took Greek that I actually understood the difference between a gerund and a participle (they look exactly the same in English). 

Learning a second language to a level of fluency allows one to think differently.  I am functionally fluent in Latin.  There are ways of speaking and thinking in Latin that a mind structured in English would have a difficult time processing.  The inverse is also true.  This means that being able to think in another language opens up one’s mind to think in different manners.

A second language also opens up a world of literature in another language.  Latin has done this for me.  I am ever amazed at what can get lost in translation when I read a work in Latin which I had previously read in English translation (this goes back to my statement about the ability to think differently in another language).

The benefits of learning a language are locked behind a door of ignorance which can only be opened with the key of hard work.  There are very few people who can learn a second language without great efforts.  Some teaching styles may lessen or increase the amount of effort required to learn a second language.  However, the sheer amount of work and time that it takes to achieve a functional level of fluency makes learning a second language a difficult and long-term proposition.