The Only Reason For Learning A Foreign Language Is To Travel To Or Work In A Foreign Country | Band 9 IELTS Essay Sample

Some people say that the only reason for learning a foreign language is in order to travel to or work in order to travel to or work in a foreign country. Others say that these are not the only reasons why someone should learn a foreign language. Discuss both the views and give your own opinion.

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Band 9 IELTS essay sample

There are multiple benefits to learning a foreign language. Of course, work and travel are definitely good reasons to learn a foreign language, but those are not the only the reasons to be bilingual or multilingual.

Learning a second or third language benefits the learner in so many ways. Studies have shown that bilingual or multilingual people are smarter than monolingual people. By simply learning a foreign language, we can increase our brain activity. This, in turn, will make us smarter and sharper. Studies have even shown that learning a foreign language can delay the onset of memory ailments like dementia.

Another advantage of learning a foreign language is that it allows us to learn more about the culture associated with that language. Language and culture are intrinsically linked. Actually, it is impossible to understand a foreign culture without learning their language first. By learning a foreign language, we also get to enjoy the literature and music in that language. Of course, translations are available but they will never beat the original. For example, the Russian language has numerous classical novels written in it. While these novels have been translated to many languages, one has to learn Russian to be able to read the original.

Also, in this age of the internet, people who are fluent in a foreign language can find work as translators or interpreters within their country itself. They do not necessarily have to go abroad to use their knowledge of international languages.

To conclude, considering all the points mentioned above it is not hard to see that travelling to a foreign country or working in a foreign country are not the only reasons to learn  a foreign language. Actually, there are many other equally compelling reasons to learn a second or third language and in this age of globalization people get plenty of opportunities to use their foreign language skills within their country itself.

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