It is widely believed that learning foreign languages is necessary only for individuals who intend to work or live abroad. However, I disagree with this view, as foreign language proficiency opens the door to a wider range of opportunities by broadening people’s horizons and enabling them to access information from international sources.
One major reason why learning foreign language is valuable is that it broadens your horizons. Travelling is a good way of exploring new cultures for you but you cannot survive and have an opportunity to speak with locals without knowing the language. For instance, those who speak English well can visit more countries than those who cannot since English is lingua franca of 21th century. Consequently, foreign language proficiency provides an opportunity to blend with the local culture of your travel destination.
Furthemore, one more reason for why foreign language learning is valuable is that it provides individuals with access to a much wider range of information. Many academic articles, scientific researches, useful educational materials are primarily available in English or other widely spoken languages. For instance, many students in my country often use foreign sources to obtain more information for their course paper at university as there is a lack of information in our native language. Consequently, knowing foreign languages can be beneficial regardless of whether individuals intend to work or live abroad.
In conclusion, despite opposite opinions, I believe that foreign language profiency opens the door to a wider range of opportunities for individuals regardlees of academic or personal goals.