The Love of Language

Why Students Should Prioritize Learning a Foreign Language

Language is how we communicate. We share feelings, opinions, and stories, all through our words. Learning a foreign language expands our horizons and broadens with whom we can communicate. Rosanne Navas, a Spanish teacher at Lincoln Southwest High School, shares the importance of learning another language and what opportunities are available for students in Lincoln.

1. Learning a foreign language enriches students’ lives.

Communication Skills: The most important part about learning a language is speaking it. Because of this, students learn how to talk with one another. Although that sounds simple, it’s a skill some students lack in a postpandemic world with social media. Just by practicing how to speak a language, students exercise their communication skills through in-person connections, eye contact, facial expressions, and more. Rosanne explains, “When you’re able to connect with other people, you can share ideas, opinions, and feelings. That’s what matters.”

Culture: Students often learn about the culture that coincides with a foreign language. They are taught about common holidays, major historical events, and other cultural customs. This helps students have a more wellrounded, empathetic understanding of the world and the people in it!

Learning a New Language: Much like learning English, the process of learning a new language is like a mathematical equation. In order to build a sentence, there needs to be a subject and a verb. There can also be adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, etc. These are fundamental components of sentences that most students learn in English class. When they are revisited in their foreign language classes, they get a better understanding of these components.

2. Opens up Opportunities for Students in Lincoln

Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) offers Spanish, French, German, and Japanese. They also offer Spanish for Spanish Speakers as well as Arabic for Arabic Speakers.

There are many study-abroad opportunities at LPS and they vary from school to school. At Southwest, there is a trip to a Spanish-speaking country every year, as well as a trip to Japan every summer. There are other opportunities for students learning other languages. Studying abroad is a wonderful opportunity for students to meet new people, learn about different cultures, and enjoy a unique experience outside of the classroom. In college, Rosanne studied abroad in Spain and learned so much about herself.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln hosts a language fair every spring for high school students learning a foreign language. This event is a celebration of language, and also allows students to demonstrate their knowledge of a language and culture in various events. The types of events include poetry, music, drama, posters, folk dancing, and film.

3. Advice for Students and Parents

Start learning young! Children are quick to learn new things, and research has shown that learning a second language as a child is easier and helps them in other areas of their lives. Parents can use external resources like a language tutor or language apps to introduce a new language. Parents can also label items in their house to help supplement their child’s learning. Repetition is very important when learning a language, and it’s good to continue the learning outside of the classroom!

A good mindset is everything. Learning a new language is tough. It’s necessary to have an open mind and to let go of the fear of making mistakes when starting out. Making mistakes is part of the learning process. “Perfection is never the end goal, because if we were to attain it, it would bore us to tears,” Rosanne adds.