5 Reasons to Learn a Second Language in College

5 Reasons to Learn a Second Language in College 5 Reasons to Learn a Second Language in College 5 Reasons to Learn a Second Language in College Although it has always been beneficial to speak more than one language, the working world is shrinking more every decade. Major companies in the United States often do business with other countries, international business is ever popular, and technology is broadening our horizons and introducing new cultures to each other every day. Although speaking two languages used to be considered a special skill, it will soon become a requirement. Although not every student can speak every language, communicating in a second language is extremely beneficial when it comes to job prospects after graduation learn a second language faster with the help of an Irvine foreign language tutor from TutorNerds. 1. Think about your field Before you pick which language you want to take its a good idea to consider which language or languages will best suit your career. Are you planning to travel to or work in another country? If so, will you be based in Europe, Asia, or South America? To what extent will you be expected to communicate in another language? Will you need to be fluent or just conversational? Learning a second language is a major feat, so its important to ask all of these questions prior to making an extensive learning commitment (READ: Tips From an Irvine Academic Tutor: 5 Apps for ESL Tutors). 2. Do you have previous experience in a second language If you have already taken four years of Spanish in high school and feel that you are somewhat proficient, this may be the way to go in college. If your career path doesnt require a specific language, then its often best to stick to what you already know. Learning a new language within the classroom format can be pretty difficult if you are entering the course with no prior experience. Additionally, most students in a language class will probably either speak some of the language already or have taken a class in high school (READ: 5 Ways to Help ESL Students Study for the ACT and SAT). 3. Will you have an opportunity to study abroad If you are taking a language more for personal reasons than your career path it might be nice to use your newfound skills while studying internationally. Have you always wanted to visit Mexico City? If so Spanish is probably the class for you. Do you have your heart set on Paris? Then sign up for that French class. International study is an excellent part of the university experience so why not spend that time focusing on honing your language skills. 4. Get a leg up in the working world With the workforce ever competitive its important for students to be on the cutting edge of whats expected of a college graduate. Even if a student doesnt plan on working overseas and they are in a field that only requires speaking English, larger companies often like to have somebody who can speak multiple languages. If somebody can serve as a translator or interpreter, or if they can help land a big account because they speak the language of the client, they could be a really big asset to a company. Why not beat out the competition while also broadening your horizons? 5. Communicate with colleagues and supervisors Even if you never plan on working outside of the United States you should consider learning a second language while in college. The United States has and will continue to be a diverse country and it’s important that employees can communicate with all of their coworkers and supervisors who speak multiple languages. Which language a student chooses to explore may depend on what part of the country they plan on living in after college. Some languages are more commonly spoken throughout the United States than others but speaking any second language will help with communication in any office environment. Form Spanish to Farsi, our experienced private Irvine foreign language tutors are here to help. Learning a second language is only a call away. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.