Tuesday, November 1, 2016

The Benefits of Learning a Foreign Language

By Natalie M. 

Nearly every higher education facility in the United States sets foreign language requirements for the high school curriculum. Have you ever wondered why? The Prezi below explores the benefits that foreign language learning provides and the positive effects this learning has on the student. 

A note to the viewer: To begin viewing please press the "Start Prezi" button and allow the presentation to fully load on your device. The screen can be maximized with the button located on the bottom right-hand corner of the Prezi. The arrows located on the bottom of the Prezi can be utilized to progress through the presentation. 



38 comments:

  1. Very nice presentation. I love it. For those reasons that you mentioned , children should start to learn a language at young age to have the whole benefit. Children’s brains are able to soak in a foreign language at an impressive rate. They are essentially able to learn to speak the language perfectly and without an accent.

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  2. I agree with Hang, that foreign language should be offered prior to high school. Not only are all of the benefits listed in the presentation worthwhile, but also that interest in a foreign language that will encourage students to travel the world.

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  3. WOW! Love this article!!!! I Latin and also have an undergraduate degree in French. I wish every student would read this article! When people ask "Why should I even bother to take Latin" this Prezi is an excellent response! Thank you

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  4. I wish there was a preschool language immersion class near me that my daughters could be a part of.

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  5. I wish there was a preschool language immersion class near me that my daughters could be a part of.

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  6. This was a great presentation. I have always felt children should begin learning a foreign language at a young age and this Prezi reinforced that belief. I wish more preschool and elementary schools offered language programs! Thank you for a very informative presentation.

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  7. This presentation is very informative. I did not know that learning a second language had so many benefits, not only academically but psychologically. Thank you!

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  8. Yes! These are all great benefits of a language. I wish I would have retained all of the Spanish I learned years ago in high school and college. I have been in so many situations where knowing Spanish would have been so helpful. Your prezi shows great reminders for students! ... Keep using the second language you learn!

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  9. What a great post! I especially appreciate this as a Classical language teacher. I have often been asked by students what the point is of learning a language that no one speaks anymore, and in addition to other great reasons, I love the answer "it's good for your brain." I plan to share this with them - now I have evidence!

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  10. I took 4 Spanish classes in high school but unfortunately I do not remember much since I didn't continue to use it. I wish I would have known how beneficial learning another language was back then! I would love to learn it again one day. I think that students should definitely be aware of the benefits of learning another language!

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  11. These are all great benefits! I am a Spanish and French language teacher, and I have to add (after living abroad for many years) that the NUMBER ONE benefit for me has been the relationships with others that I have been able to form by speaking more than one language. Only by speaking another's language can we truly understand his/her perspective and form of self expression.

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  12. Very nice presentation! As a foreign language teacher i like your outlook. There are many benefits to learning a language but this presentation covers many of the good ones!!

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  13. Thank you for this! As a Japanese teacher, I'll be using this in my course!

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  14. Of course I am thrilled with this blog!;I am a French teacher. You covered so many of the benefits of learning another language, and like Mr. Bynum before me, I will be using it in my course.

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  15. This is great! It is easy to read and covers some non typical reasons for language learning. May I have your permission to use it in my course. It would be a great motivational tool for the first week.
    -Ana Kistler (Spanish TnT)

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  16. This is great. I love how you cover some non traditional reasons for language learning. May I have your permission to use in my course. It would be a great motivational piece for the first week.
    Ana Kistler

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    1. I thought about the same thing Ana, would be great to give this information to our language learner students!

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    2. I would love for you to use this information in your course! Thank you so much for wanting to share this with your students :)

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  17. What a great Prezi! It is important to learn a second or third language for many reasons but it especially essential for those who are college bound. I like that you have some "normal" answers in there as well as some none traditional answers. As a mother, I like how you point out it is good for your brain. It is important to utilize the brain as a muscle and work it! Great work!

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  18. Benefit of learning a language! Excellent! I am a language lover, I think that the ability to speak different languages is amazing, and knowing all the benefits, will keep me standing for teaching and learning now more than before!

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  19. Nice presentation and Prezi! Prezi is such a fun tool to use. I appreciated all of the different ways that learning a foreign language can be helpful, from increasing memory to being an asset in a job situation. Nice work!

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  20. I love prezi! It makes a presentation more fun. I also agree that students should learn another language. Working, I have found that knowing some Spanish has helped me. I have been able to help customers more effectively and efficiently. I also have been able to cater to their linguistic needs by understanding them even if i cannot reply well.

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  21. I agree because the world has changed and is continuing to change. I took Russian in high school because it was my native language and that I felt proud to have the opportunity to learn it again. Also when learning a new language it will helps us understand the life style of other languages.

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  22. Learning a foreign language can be really difficult, but as this wonderful article states there are many pros. For instance I tried to learn Spanish, it take a lot of practice and devotion

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  23. Really nicely done. I've been wondering whether I should fully pursue french. I takes a lot of devotion but you have convinced me. Thanks!

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  24. I like this! I love using Prezi, too.
    I agree with comments above, Forgiven Language should be offered before high school. Children are able to pick up on new ideas faster than older children.

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  25. I loved this presentation! It was well thought out and accurate. I am a whole hearted believer of learning foreign languages, not only because I am a language nerd, but also because it allows you to create relationships with people all over the world and it opens you to different cultures.

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  26. I agree with this so much. Learning a second language makes you think about the words you use and also makes you globally aware. You not only learn a language but also a culture, I believe exposing yourself to a different language and therefore different cultures can make you a better more well rounded person.

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  27. I think that this article does a great job at highlighting the importance of learning a second language and the opportunities that become available when you do. Learning a second language really opens up doors to create connections with other cultures and people.

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  28. I enjoyed this article and felt that it accurately described the benefits to learning a foreign language. I am currently in an honors Spanish course and I totally agree that it helps the brain multitask. I am interested in a career in medicine and learning another language will be extremely helpful in my communication.

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  30. This is a very thorough article. I wasn't aware of a few of the benefits of learning a second language, and I learned a lot.

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  31. I really enjoyed reading this article, it was informative and gave me even more of a boost of motivation to keep studying Japanese. I love learning new languages and learning how to express my thoughts in a completely different way. Languages can be hard, but knowing this information can really help a person keep up with their work.

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  32. I agree wholeheartedly with your presentation. As a learner of a second foreign language (German), I recognize the importance of being multilingual. It is the future of the human race. In addition, when one learns a second language they have to step out of themselves and welcome an unknown culture, which is experience that only serves as a benefit in later years.

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  33. Bravo - I couldn't agree more with your presentation! How valuable it is to know a second (or third, or fourth...) language! For all the reasons you presented in the Prezi, I believe that all schools (not just magnet schools) should have children in a serious and consistent foreign language/culture program beginning at age five so that they are fluent in speaking, reading, and writing in at least one foreign language by the time they reach high school. It grieves me that so many Americans have the attitude that the only language they need to know is English...

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  34. I like that the benefit of a better understanding of your native language was also included in the presentation. As a Japanese teacher, since the language is grammatically very different from english, when explaining the grammatical structure students also learn about the role of verb objects coupula's topic vs. subject etc. in their native language as well. Even if they go on the forget Japanese, they at least are more conscious of their native language and how to use it.

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  36. This Prezi really points to the overall benefits of learning a foreign language. I can share these ideas with students and parents.

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