The world is full of languages and cultures. How far do you have to go from your front door to know that this is true? Think about how many more newspapers and books you could read, movies and TV programs you could understand, Web sites you could visit, people and places you could really get to know with another language!

Give Yourself a Competitive Edge

Did you know that studying a second language can improve your skills and grades in math and English and can improve entrance exam scores-SATs, ACTs, GREs, MCATs, and LSATs?

Research has shown that math and verbal SAT scores climb higher with each additional year of foreign language study, which means that the longer you study a foreign language, the stronger your skills become to succeed in school. Studying a foreign language can improve your analytic and interpretative capacities. And three years of language study on your record will catch the eye of anyone reading your job or college application.

If you've already learned a language other than English at home, expanding your knowledge of its vocabulary, grammar, culture, and literature-at the same time you are learning English-will also improve your chances for success in school and in your career.

Job Advantage in a Global Economy

More and more businesses work closely with companies in other countries. They need many different kinds of workers who can communicate in different languages and understand other cultures. No matter what career you choose, if you've learned a second language, you'll have a real advantage. A technician who knows Russian or German, the head of a company who knows Japanese or Spanish, or a salesperson who knows French, Arabic or Chinese can work successfully with many more people and in many more places than someone who knows only one language.

Many Americans who speak languages other than English. If you've ever thought of being a nurse, a doctor, a police officer, a judge, an architect, a businessperson, a singer, a plumber, or a Web master, you will multiply your chances for success if you speak more than one language. A hotel manager or a customer-service representative who knows English and Spanish or English and Korean may look much better at promotion time than one who knows only English.

Professionals who know other languages are called on to travel and exchange information with people in other countries throughout their careers. Knowing more than one language enhances opportunities in government, business, medicine and health care, law enforcement, teaching, technology, the military, communications, industry social service, and marketing. An employer will see you as a bridge to new clients or customers if you know a second language.

Learning Other Cultures: Your World and Beyond

Connect with other cultures. Get an insider's view of another culture and a new view of your own. Knowledge of other cultures will help you expand your personal horizons and become a responsible citizen. Your ability to talk to others and gather information beyond the world of English will contribute to your community and your country.

New Ways of Language Learning

What can you expect? You will learn a second language in exciting new ways using technology and focusing on communication (speaking). Learning a language is not just learning grammar and vocabulary. It is learning new sounds, expressions, and ways of seeing things; it is learning how to function in another culture, how to know a new community from the inside out.

How much can you learn? Depending on how long you study, you can gain different levels of fluency. You will probably not sound like a native speaker right away. Don't worry; you're not expected to. To a greater or lesser degree you will, however, be understood, get where you want to go, read magazines or books for information or pleasure, and meet and talk with a whole new group of people. And what a great experience that is! Of course, it doesn't happen overnight. Like math, History, or other subjects, language learning takes time.

Should you continue language study after high school? Yes! Don't waste your investment of time and effort; whatever you have learned is a foundation for further study. Stick with it. Use your second language on the job, seek out opportunities to use it in your community, or, in college, take more courses, study abroad at intercession or for a summer, a semester, or a year. Some programs teach languages in conjunction with engineering, business, nursing or journalism. And you might decide to start still another language-when you study language, you learn about how to learn languages, so learning the next one is easier.

Which Language Should You Learn?

There's no one answer. Here are the twelve most likely to be offered in your high school or college: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Russian, Hebrew, Greek, Chinese, Arabic, and Portuguese. Swahili, American Sign Language, and Navajo-and 121 other languages-are also taught in American high schools, colleges, and universities. Whatever language you choose, learning it will make a difference in how you see the world and in how the world sees you.

Still not convinced? Here are some brochures stressing the importance of learning another language

• Language Study In the Age of Globalization: The College-Level Experience
  An article from the Modern Language Association's website.
• Knowing Other Languages Brings Opportunities
  An article on how other languages enriches your knowledge and skills.