With the advancement of technology, translation machines are highly developed and become an indispensable tool for many people, leading to a common belief that it is unnecessary to learn foreign languages. Honestly, I partially agree with this statement.
To commence with, using translation software is more time-saving as it can help people set aside time and effort spent on the process of learning a new language including going to different classes, doing practice tasks, and taking some tests. Instead, people not learning languages can utilize this time for other purposes. For example, with the same evening, while a language learner has to attend extra classes, a person who is free at this time can relax by watching television, reading books or newspaper, playing computer games; from which he or she can release negative emotion and recharge full and energy for the next day. In addition, translation applications can significantly empower users since it enhances the communication in multilingual contexts by giving an immediate translation in various languages at once with a certain level of accuracy. That can help a person to quickly connect and build relationships with foreigners or travel abroad with a minimized language barrier.
In contrast, language acquisition can help learners to gain deeper understanding about the culture of that country because studying language means to know more about its origin including words, phrases or common expressions and they are always linked to the history, or custom and tradition of the residents. This is due to the fact that a language is generated throughout the history of that country and used in diverse fields, for instance, journalism. Therefore, language acquisition can improve self – development, then effective globalization. In addition, using a translation machine may limit the efficiency of communication as it cannot fully understand the context and sometimes offer inaccurate translations. In particular, it can use inappropriate expressions, maybe they are not suitable for the situation or are offensive in terms of culture, race. That will lead to misunderstanding in conversations or even the collapse of a relationship.