I couldn’t remember a single word, so I stood there for ten awkward seconds until my professor finally came to my aid and completed the sentence for me. I sat down, embarrassed, anticipating judgment from my classmates, my professor — everybody.
But on my first day of Korean class at Smith, nobody cared that I’d made a mistake. By the end of that week, every other student had had at least one similar moment, and we had all surmounted the initial fear of a public error. The week after, we were chatting away in Korean, limited only by our vocabularies and grammatical knowledge, both of which were steadily improving.
This stress inoculation is just one of the benefits I’ve reaped from taking foreign language classes. Not only have I overcome my hesitance around public speaking, but I’ve learned to treat each mistake as a learning experience rather than retreating into a cocoon of shame. After several years of language classes, including Spanish, Latin, Korean, Italian and Mandarin, I’m now thoroughly convinced that everyone should study at least one language beyond their native tongue.
My lifelong study of languages has vastly improved my skills in other areas. Latin has enhanced my understanding of grammatical concepts in English and other languages I’m learning. On countless occasions, I have encountered unfamiliar words but have been able to infer their meanings due to my foundation in Latin. I’ve developed strong study skills for vocabulary acquisition because, for most of my academic career, I’ve been responsible for memorizing vocabulary lists.
There’s a scientific basis for these breakthroughs, too. Studies have repeatedly found that language learning improves both short-term and long-term memory. It’s also been shown to increase the volume and density of white and gray matter in the brain, increasing cognitive function in myriad ways through heightened neural connectivity.
Outside of the classroom, language study opens up a wealth of potential experiences. Becoming multilingual facilitates study abroad and career opportunities in non-English-speaking countries. Beyond that, knowing at least some of the local vernacular enables a traveler to connect to native speakers on a deeper level. But one doesn’t have to leave the country — or even their dorm room — to explore the new spaces unlocked by language. From Korean R&B to “Squid Game” and “Parasite,” media in other languages is far more enjoyable when the viewer can access the wordplay and nuances carefully laid into each line by the work’s original creator rather than relying on translators’ approximations.
While learning a language fosters connections between individuals across nations, it also does so within the classroom. At Smith, students often take language classes in a predetermined sequence, usually with the same professor and a similar group of students over the course of their academic careers. This allows for the formation of closer friendships as students explore a new language and culture together. Language classes also tend to heavily emphasize speaking, so there’s virtually no chance of a silent classroom of complete strangers. Even when studying a dead language like Latin, there are still endless opportunities to bond over silly scenarios in the textbook, like how Caesar always referred to himself in the third person.
From kindergarten to college, my language learning journey has taught me invaluable skills — including, but not limited to, guessing the meanings of SAT words and swearing profusely in Italian — and introduced joy and curiosity to my life. One doesn’t even have to become completely proficient in a second language to access similar benefits. Simply picking up a few words or phrases can expand one’s cultural understanding and catalyze the formation of new relationships with international and domestic students alike. Consider this an invitation to join me in expanding the linguistic horizons of our worlds.
