Mastering the foreign tongue

With the world becoming closely connected, learning a foreign language has become essential. Even in the City, many youngsters are interested in learning languages such as French, German and Spanish. 

While many students and professionals are attempting this, the question, however, is how many are taking it seriously. People from different countries are also coming to the City. Hence, knowing a foreign language helps one interact with them easily. And with many institutes teaching foreign languages, it’s easy to learn one. 

“Learning a foreign language has become important thanks to globalisation. People learn a language for various reasons — some learn it just because of their interest in that particular culture while others learn it as a hobby. Most of them learn it for professional reasons. There is a need to communicate with people from various countries these days and it is not necessary that everyone knows English. Knowing a foreign language adds value to your resume,” says Aayushi Bhattacharya, a student. “A foreign language helps us learn more about other cultures. It also helps when one starts working. Even otherwise, knowing a foreign language will surely come in handy some day,” says Manasa Vyas, a student of Mount Carmel College. 

Says Thyba Mohamed, a French tutor, “It is not enough just to know Indian languages. A foreign language looks good on the resume and opens more job opportunities for you. Personally, I consider French as a romantic language and I’m passionate about it. It has also helped me learn a lot about the French culture and I’m proud to be teaching it.” 
Sai Sushmitha, a degree student from Baldwin Women’s Methodist College, feels, “I didn’t find it that difficult to learn a foreign language because I started learning it from PUC. It is very easy to learn a foreign language especially French. It will surely help me when I start looking out for a job.”

Students also love telling people that they know a foreign language. It’s a matter of pride for them.

Bhavya Dharmaraaj, a student learning French, says, “It opens up opportunities in foreign countries and is also a lot of fun since you get to interact with a lot of new people. But it is not as easy as one thinks. It requires a lot of effort.”