THE DRAGON issue 1

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