Technology has been paving the way for a gamut of opportunities, ranging from learning languages to altering the world significantly. Although AI-based software programs exist to help eradicate language barriers, learning a new language still holds and offers imperative benefits. Personally, I advocate this idea, as aforementioned programs lack the complexity akin to the human mind.
Admittedly, technology is an indispensable portion of our life, playing a crucial role in many facets, whether in bringing up children or saving lives. Similarly, learning languages is no exception in this trend. Nowadays, a range of software programs designed for translation eliminates the borders between people, nations, and countries. With a few clicks, a person is likely to understand an unknown language. However, this trend also comes with its side effects: the reluctance to learn a language. There may be no necessity for people to spend huge amounts of time, money, and energy to learn a single language, which sometimes takes even years. ChatGPT, made by OpenAI, is a plausible instance of this notion. If used properly, it might translate languages – English to Mandarin or reverse – with no extra efforts or time. The process takes seconds to finish the prompt given by a human, meaning that people might hesitate to learn a language, which has a disastrous impact on human beings in the long run. One of which, in a general perspective, is brain and memory damage. Because people might no longer spend time learning a language that is beneficial for cognitive skills and memory, the next generation might face obstacles, such as the loss of productivity and impaired memory by relying on sophisticated software.
However, learning a language offers great outcomes, which is why I believe it is, indeed, significant for humans. Firstly, as tourism has been increasing at a swift pace, so does the demand for tour guides and translators; yet, countries and tour agencies still seek eligible and qualified candidates for such positions. Those who know many languages are allies for both the stride of the country and the tourism industry. The advantage of those who have multilingual skills, which software programs still may not present, is that they know a variety of dialects in a particular language. Translator programs do not understand different dialects, which supports the idea that we still need to learn a language. For instance, my country – Uzbekistan – is seeking those who know Mandarin with certified language proficiency. The programs are likely to fail to understand the dialects – Bukharian and Kharezm – to function correctly, which tourists would need tour guides to enjoy their trip to such a marvelous country. Moreover, individuals can make a living by possessing language abilities. Working as a tour guide or running a business in the tourism industry would lead someone to financial freedom, which, in turn, ensures the enjoyment of life with opportunities, such as being able to afford vacations and luxurious lifestyles, as well as mental and physical freedom, to name but a few.
In conclusion, despite the availability of software programs, I believe we should continue learning a language because of the aforementioned opportunities.