Foreign Languages for the Win!By Madison Sennholtz
Staff Reporter March 10, 2017 Learning a new language is an endeavor that takes, time, practice and consistency.
The first and most important part of successfully learning another language is being genuinely interested in the language you’re learning. DeLand High offers Spanish, French and German courses so choose which one you find the most intriguing and it will be extremely easier to learn. Secondly, use resources outside of the classroom to increase your understanding of the language. Apps such as Duolingo and FluentU have a plethora of different languages you can learn. Both of these apps are free and make learning the language enjoyable and portable. In addition to apps, make conversation with those who are already fluent in the language you are trying to learn through social media. If you don’t know anyone in your area, social media is a good way to connect with people who you normally wouldn’t communicate with. Striking up a conversation with a stranger whose first language is the language you are trying to learn is a very effective way to learn common conversational skills and phrases of their respected language. Lastly, learning another language isn’t just good for your grades, it’s good for the rest of your life. Being bilingual opens a great deal of doors for an individual in regards to travel, everyday interactions and more. Also, according to an article published by Delia Lloyd of the Huffington Post, bilingualism improves cognitive functions, “Bilingual people also do better in other areas of cognitive functioning. In addition to their double vocabularies, bilingual children have stronger and more flexible cognitive abilities. Mastering two or more languages helps them solve logic problems and handle multi-tasking, skills that are often considered part of the brain’s so-called executive function.” Therefore acquiring the skill of bilingualism will change the way you think, and how fast you do so. Becoming fluent in a second language doesn’t happen overnight. It takes months or even years of consistent studying and use of multiple resources to really be able to fully grasp the complexity of a new language. However, bilingualism will open a multitude of doors for you on future endeavors socially and mentally. Take the time to learn and in no time you’ll reap the benefits of being bilingual. |
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