4 Theses
Thesis 1, children below.
Click a claim to see or add claims underneath.Thesis 2, children below.
Thesis 3, children below.
Thesis 4, children below.
Which foreign language is most useful to learn?
Background Info
Long ago, a famous king proclaimed, “To have a second language is to have a second soul.” Indeed, knowing a second language makes life richer in many ways. It’s a great skill for work or travel. Plus, you can watch movies, read books, or make friends from all over the world! But with about 7,000 languages on Earth, which one should you choose to learn?
Today, Mandarin Chinese is becoming a popular choice. It is the second-most spoken language in the world after English. That means you’ll have plenty of people to talk with! Plus knowing Mandarin has become extremely valuable for business. However, many people find Mandarin very difficult to learn, especially because of its complex writing system.
Many students decide to learn Spanish instead, because so much of the world speaks it. Only Mandarin Chinese has more native speakers. Most countries and people in the Americas speak Spanish, and it is quite popular in Europe, too. Yet, each country has its own unique variety of Spanish. This can be very frustrating for learners.
Another global language is French, with pockets of speakers all over the world. These can be found in the Americas, the Middle East, much of Africa, and tons of islands. Many people also think that French is a language of high culture. There are many famous books and films in French. However, French is becoming less popular as an international language.
An often overlooked option is to learn your country’s sign language! Learning sign language will stretch your understanding of language in unique ways. Of course, it is also useful for communicating with deaf and hard-of-hearing people, and for making a difference in these communities. Compared to other languages, however, many fewer people know sign language.
Which of these languages do you think is most useful to learn? Or is your top choice something else? Whatever you’d like to speak, be sure to speak your mind in this Kialo discussion!
Today, Mandarin Chinese is becoming a popular choice. It is the second-most spoken language in the world after English. That means you’ll have plenty of people to talk with! Plus knowing Mandarin has become extremely valuable for business. However, many people find Mandarin very difficult to learn, especially because of its complex writing system.
Many students decide to learn Spanish instead, because so much of the world speaks it. Only Mandarin Chinese has more native speakers. Most countries and people in the Americas speak Spanish, and it is quite popular in Europe, too. Yet, each country has its own unique variety of Spanish. This can be very frustrating for learners.
Another global language is French, with pockets of speakers all over the world. These can be found in the Americas, the Middle East, much of Africa, and tons of islands. Many people also think that French is a language of high culture. There are many famous books and films in French. However, French is becoming less popular as an international language.
An often overlooked option is to learn your country’s sign language! Learning sign language will stretch your understanding of language in unique ways. Of course, it is also useful for communicating with deaf and hard-of-hearing people, and for making a difference in these communities. Compared to other languages, however, many fewer people know sign language.
Which of these languages do you think is most useful to learn? Or is your top choice something else? Whatever you’d like to speak, be sure to speak your mind in this Kialo discussion!