Languages

            Most likely, if you are in high school, you are taking a foreign language or are planning on taking one the last two years.  People have been asking me why I would take the language I took in high school (Chinese) especially since it is such a hard language.  If you are trying to figure out what language to take, I’ll give you some ways to decide.

1.      Is there a specific language you have always wanted to learn?  Maybe you have always loved French romance novels, well then maybe you have always wanted to learn French to better understand all the novels you enjoy reading.

2.      Is there a type of food you really love and would like to visit that country at some point in the future in order to enjoy the food in a more authentic way?  A lot of people love Mexican food so maybe you want to visit Mexico, well then take Spanish.

3.      My family on my mom’s side is from Germany.  Maybe you have family from a country that speaks a language your school offers.  You might chose to take that language so you can communicate with some of your older relatives or maybe even relatives that still live there, in their own language.  Or even better yet, at some point in the future when you want to visit your motherland, you will know the local language.

4.      Simplicity may be the reason you end up choosing your language.  Chinese for most would not be an easy language, but if you are a visual learner, it might end up being easier for you.  Some languages, such as Spanish, are very similar to English and share some common sounds; making learning the language easier to learn.

5.      I think the biggest reason you should chose a language, would be its prospects for the future.  The Spanish population in the United States of America is on the rise, but so is the number of kids taking it in high school.  The population of many Asian countries is on the rise, and so is their economic influence in the world markets.  It is expected that the Chinese GDP will soon pass that of the United States, so if you are thinking about a career in business, Chinese may be a smart option.  The industry of Japan is also on the rise, so Japanese may also be a smart option for your future career.  Some of the more unique languages can also end up looking good on a college transcript, or even on job applications.

No matter what language you chose to take, I would recommend thinking about it thoroughly before signing up.  You make not think it now, but your choice could have effects on you for the rest of your life.

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