What Foreign Languages Do We Love
By Rose Salas
随着全球化程度加深，各国之间的人员和商贸交流也越发频繁，无论您是出国旅行还是出国留学，都需要至少掌握一门外语；如果你是韩剧、日剧或美剧的狂热粉丝，那么学会该剧语言，摆脱字幕完全自由的看剧观影，不愧为一种享受。
学习一门新的语言，已经成为当今年轻人必备的一项技能，在某论坛学生投票选出的最喜欢学习的语言中，位列前五的分别是英语、日语、韩语、法语和德语。其中英语作为各国通用官方语言，在国际上的地位一直很高，无论是外企白领、出国留学生还是国内中小学生，甚至幼儿，都在不约而同地提升着自己的英语水平。由于商贸往来的需求，日语和韩语的学习人数大大增加，其语言特色和汉语有很密切的关系，例如：日语文字中有许多都是汉字字符，韩语的部分发音与汉语相似。法国这个浪漫的国度吸引了很多人到那里旅行、留学和工作，法语也成为了很多人的必备技能。而谈及德语，很多人的印象都是“难学”。但对于希望去德国留学或深造的人而言，德语是必须迈过的坎。在我国日渐强盛的推动下，汉语的重要性也被国际社会所了解，而汉语被世界上很多人视为最难学的语言之一。但古语云：“功夫不负有心人”，只要愿意积极努力，一定可以学好汉语的。
那么亲爱的读者，你喜欢哪门外语呢？
We all would love to learn and master a new language till we are as fluent in it as our mother tongue. Aside of course from English being the global language, we still wish we could speak a few more. Imagine when you’re a fan of a K-drama series or an avid follower of an English TV series - reading subtitles gives eye strain. If you are an entrepreneur venturing into cross-border business, speaking a new language helps you to communicate better and work well with your foreign partners. If you are migrating to a new country, learning their language is your weapon for survival. Hence, though we preserve the culture of our native language, we become a lover of another too!
In a forum, students were asked what other languages they liked best. Here are the top 5:
1. English
2. Japanese
3. Korean
4. French
5. German
English, as a lingua franca, is most loved. It is very evident now as English online schools have become in-demand. Aside from English classes that students take, more and more parents are enrolling their children to become conversational in English. A student may have a minimum of 30–minute to maximum of 2-hour class daily through a one-on-one approach. No doubt, this language is a must for getting a better career opportunity in future.
Japanese and Korean languages are very significant and are learned by many due to business purposes. Because of numerous Japanese and Korean enterprises being established in the country, many are attracted to learn these languages. Also, their languages are somewhat similar to Chinese in a sense that 2000 characters in the Chinese language are being used in Japanese. Korean pronunciations are nonetheless comparable to ours. Since these countries are neighbors to us, we would love to grasp their language.
What about French? Well, who would not want to remember France as the most romantic place in the world! A lot of young people would love to travel to this country so they are interested in learning the language. Students who choose to study in France find this language so sweet-sounding. For career-purposes, many professionals learn French by heart so that they can communicate with ease if they are re-located to stay for work.
Speaking about German, most of us talk with our peers or German friends in English. However, for those people who are being promoted to work or having business ventures, it is essential to learn this as early as possible because this is one of the most difficult languages to learn! Students who are also going to Germany to get a degree or further their education need to speak and learn it word-perfect.
As with all these foreign languages, Chinese is also one of the most studied languages globally. Learners enroll in different courses via online or one to one tutorials to learn Mandarin or Putonghua. You would hear foreigners saying Chinese is so difficult; and likewise, we tell them that their languages are so back-breaking and tough. But, our determination and motivation as well as our love for their culture inspire us to learn. After all, being bilingual is just brilliant!
Language is the soul of every communication. Long even before we realize how important it is to learn a new one, our connection to people around us influences us to love other languages. Curiosity can convince us to grasp a new language. More importantly, as we decide to take on a challenging role in our career life, we acquire knowledge of a foreign language that we embrace just like our own. Have you learned any new language yet?
