Trying to learn a second language is a waste of time

There is every reason in the world to be bilingual.

Those who learn a second language become less likely to get Alzheimer”s, are better at multitasking, more employable, smarter, more interesting people.

Danny Bugingo
Argonaut

The problem is that most students don”t actually learn a second language. They take several years of Spanish and learn how to ask where a bathroom is.

Arguments for learning a second language assume the person trying to learn will be successful. Sure, if the student took the language seriously, studied abroad and became fluent, they would gain tremendous perspective and find a new way to view the world.  

But more often than not, students run into a brick wall of irregular verbs, strange conjugations and unfamiliar syntax. They stumble through just enough of the nightmare to make it to graduation.  

A bachelor of arts degree at the University of Idaho requires competence in a foreign language through the intermediate level, which means passing a 200-level class.

Unless the student travels or has someone to speak the language with, it will all be forgotten in a few short years. Learning a foreign language solely in a classroom environment is like learning to play jazz by reading sheet music and playing an imaginary trumpet.

Until the skills are consistently applied in real-world situations, any tangible benefit is lost. Geography and cultural competency courses would benefit students far more than learning stray vocabulary.

Trying to learn a second language is a waste of time, unless that language is English of course.

I don”t come from a place of ethnocentrism. My parents speak four languages and I”m a French major.

Certainly English isn”t the best language – it sounds gross and nasally, especially with an American accent. Say “purple” out loud. Notice how the word gets swallowed up and gulped out. There are plenty of languages that have more elegant structure and more pleasant sounds.

What English does have is a wide reach that has been cemented by globalized, transnational media. If China takes over the world, they will rule in English.

I study French because I think it”s fun. Going through the grammar and the structure makes me more aware of how I speak, how I think and the cultural space I live in – it isn”t a nightmare for me. Hopefully I”ll become less likely to get Alzheimer”s, better at multitasking and will be more employable.

But if I didn”t have a passion for French, I would get nothing out of the classes I take. I would show up, scrape by and move on. I wouldn”t learn about a world much bigger than the one I see on a day-to-day basis. I would learn how to say dog, lunch and bathroom.

Instead, students should learn how to interact with people from different backgrounds respectfully and effectively. Required classes should teach a basic context for current events instead of a list of vocabulary.

Danny Bugingo can be reached at  [email protected]