MICHELLE THOMPSON
Media Converged Manager

Learning another language can help a student gain an opportunity to not only speak a second or third language, but it can also help one gain better communication skills, work in an international organization and experience a different culture. 

Want to learn another language? Piedmont College offers courses to learn Spanish, German, French and Japanese. A student can also use different applications to learn a foreign language at home or on the go. 

Daily, the world is changing and becoming more intercultural. Students in middle school, high school and college should consider learning another language in order to keep up with the changes. 

According to the article, “Twenty-five Reasons to Study Foreign Languages” at cla.auburn.edu, learning another language can help a student become a valuable employee in an international organization, government, medicine, law, military and other occupations. Learning another language can also improve one’s listening skills and memory. 

According to cla.auburn.edu, students who are bilingual or trilingual can also make new friends in different countries. These opportunites enable students to gain a better understanding of their own culture. It can also encourage students to respect international students and students who study abroad in the United States. 

Learning another language can also promote students to understand a foreign culture and gain a different point of view. This includes learning about different art, music, dance, fashion and philosophy. This will “lead to an appreciation of cultural diversity,” according to cla.auburn.edu. 

Applications in smartphones and computers offers students an opportunity to learn a foreign language outside the classroom. One program students can use is Rosetta Stone. It offers individuals, students, businesses and government organizations the opportunity to learn a different language. 

According to rosettastone.com, the software is “dedicated to changing people’s lives through the power of language and literacy education.” The cloud-based program allows students to learn online or on-the-go by tablet or Smartphone. Rosetta Stone programs teach languages like Chinese, German, French, Russian, Spanish, Arabic and Polish. An individual can purchase a monthly subscription or download the program on a computer or a laptop. Want to try it out? Visit www.rosettastone.com.

If the price for Rosetta Stone is too high, there is an alternative. According to USA TODAY, Duolingo is a free smartphone and tablet application, which was released in 2012, it teaches six languages – Spanish, French, German, Italian, English and Portuguese. 

The application can be used on-the-go or online in a computer or a laptop. A student can download the app for free or go online at www.duolingo.com. 

Graduate students majoring in Instructional Technology, Kriston Haynes and Jesse Sutton, conducted on a survey reviewing both applications while completing a class project. According to Haynes, both applications are very popular, especially Rosetta Stone, even though the price is very high.

“It’s absolutely necessary in this day in age to learn another language, especially for students that are on go,” said Haynes. “Duolingo is a great option for that. But, Rosetta Stone also takes it to another level, so students understand that they have that option, and it is money well spent.”