Low Down

  Students whose heritage is other than that of the country in which they are living are often interested in learning about their relatives and ancestors. While one can learn much from the study of culture alone, acquiring high-level language proficiency can help tremendously in understanding one’s heritage. These skills open doors to the literature and the people of the parent nation. They also provide a conduit to a culture that, if you are a heritage learner, belongs to you and has shaped who you are today whether you are aware of it or not. Studying the language provides insights not only into the foreign culture but into your own kin culture, as well. The history of your relatives and the culture from which they emanated becomes more alive, understandable, and rich when you can access it, using the foreign language.   Anyone who studies a language has invested much time and effort into acquiring knowledge and proficiency. This is even more the case for those who begin stu...

Why are you studying a foreign language? There are probably nearly as many answers to that question as there are students in your classroom. Take a look at some of the reasons other students have given for studying a foreign language. Very likely, your reason(s) can be found among them:   Þ     Gaining skills for a job Þ     Gaining access to foreign bodies of knowledge Þ     T raveling abroad Þ     Studying abroad Þ     Working abroad Þ     School requirement Þ     Personal edification Þ     Interest in linguistics Þ     Parental influence Þ     Becoming familiar with your heritage Þ     Understanding people in your neighborhood Þ     Maintaining knowledge     There are many different kinds of jobs that require foreign-language skills. The number of jobs that require language skills is growing ...