Teenagers should relish the chance to learn a foreign language

Photo by Leyna Chan

Language learning allows for a collaborative, applicable and social challenge to your brain. 

The foreign language requirement — two years for graduation, three years recommended for a 4-year college —  is either a blessing or curse for many students. Those who enjoy foreign cultures often pursue languages through their senior year, sometimes to the AP level. Others who either took Spanish in middle school or tested into a higher level of a different language stop after their sophomore year, content with simply meeting the 3-year requirement. 

While many argue that a foreign language class period could be better spent doubling up on science classes or taking engineering or computer science courses, learning a second language has been proven to challenge the brain and expand cognitive abilities. Switching between languages challenges the problem-solving, information-filtering functions of the brain, leading to sharper memory and more efficient processing of information. 

Growing up in an era of technology and social media, many teens in the U.S. are limited to interactions with the same people and within the same environment daily. In these English-speaking bubbles, they lose the chance to speak other languages. Even without traveling to a different country, immersing in a different culture while still in the U.S. makes for an enriching experience.

Though learning a new language can be a frustrating and monotonous process, the gratification of reading the Spanish subtext on airport signs or ordering in Spanish when at a Mexican or Cuban restaurant is unlike any other. We live in such a diverse country, and native speakers of a language appreciate when their culture is being recognized, regardless of whether you butcher a few words or speak with incorrect grammar. 

As someone who has taken Spanish since seventh grade, I can attest that learning a language has assisted me in all aspects of learning. My brain has learned how to absorb and adapt to new concepts quickly. Learning in other subjects, especially math and science, has become easier because I am able to retain large quantities of information at once. Studying a different language also trained my ability to replicate what I hear and process auditory cues, which even helps me as a musician. Language learning has made me a more efficient learner across a wide scope of subjects.

On a more localized level, a diversity of languages also fosters a sense of community — whether that’s in a school, in a family or in a neighborhood. Foreign language classes are a positive experience because by studying a different culture and conversing in the language, students embrace the differences of a new culture and build a connection with their peers. 

There exist countless niche languages that are not formally taught at school, which proves just how much culture we have yet to explore. Taking advantage of the foreign language opportunities we have here is the first essential step to expanding our worldviews and recognizing that every community is not like ours. Language learning is one of our last hopes for increasing acceptance and understanding in a divided world.