By Emily Spencer-Hedges
Bonjour? Hola? Guten Tag? Thinking of learning a new language? Not sure if it is worth it? Well, let us introduce you to languages from a teacher’s point of view … “So many opportunities open up to you,” Mrs Brocken tells us, revealing that experiences that languages have led her to include visiting the European parliament then actually living in Madrid, Spain. “While living in Madrid, I didn’t feel like an outsider because I knew Spanish, so this in time led me to develop a bond with the locals,” she said. So, languages really do come in handy. Think about the time you've been on holiday and saw something so mouth-watering it was painful, but you couldn’t order it because you had absolutely no idea what it was called - language barriers at their finest! That would never happen if you study languages; you would get to know so many more people, even dive into the rich history of many different countries and hear stories only the locals know. Moreover, languages look very pleasing on college and even university applications. Don’t wonder why: learning languages is very challenging, especially if you're already bilingual and you are studying a third, proving that you’re capable of overcoming so many challenges and obstacles. Universities especially look for students who are good at overcoming such difficult challenges. Looking at the future, it seems pretty promising with languages, right? However, learning a language is a long and difficult process that takes a lot of focus, dedication and determination. Mrs Brocken shared with us that it took six years to become fluent in Spanish, eight years in French and nine years in German. Don’t stress, it won't take you a total of 23 years to learn three languages! Mrs Brocken explained that she learned these languages simultaneously, starting with German. So really, it only took her 11 years. Still, it’s quite a long time and keep in mind that you'll never stop learning because of all the little phrases that might not make sense to you but others will understand. Just like English, you'll never really stop learning. Now, after being told the highs and lows of learning languages, let’s explain in what way languages will influence the future. Language teachers are in high demand because not many people are willing to learn another language or they just don’t possess the time or recourse to do so. Language teachers are a very valuable part of the school community, highly rewarded for their time and effort. Finally if you are bilingual, you have a greater chance to meet other people who have the same interests as you, leading to having a broader social circle and larger friendship groups. So why not? Have a go at learning some languages today and have a larger set of opportunities tomorrow. By Julia Orawiec