Some people say that the only reason for learning a foreign language is in order to travel to or work in a foreign country. Others say that these are not the only reasons why someone should learn a foreign language. Discuss both these views and...

People have different views about the purposes of learning a foreign language. While some people think that learning a new language is just for traveling or working overseas, I do believe that there are some other reasons for doing this activity.

There are two reasons why working or traveling abroad can be considered one of the most practical motivations for many people to learn a new language. First, they certainly know that when they travel or work in a new country, it is a must to be able to communicate with the native, at least verbally in common situations such as shopping, giving and asking directions. If they fail to do that they may get big trouble. Reality shows that those who have these immediate needs usually work harder on the language. Second, when people learn a language and never use it in their real life, it easily becomes a demotivating activity. For example, my brother took an English course 10 years ago but since then he has never learned any English again. He told me that he was very demotivated to continue his English learning because he almost never used it in his work and the skills quickly weakened just after some months. He said he would learn English again when he had a very clear plan such as working in an international company.

However, learning a new language is not just for improving job prospects or traveling, many people learn new languages for enjoying the beauty of these languages or becoming a global citizen. For example, if we want to fully enjoy a master piece when sung, we must understand its lyrics. The beauty of a language is also shown in how their sounds are combined or characters are written down. Take Chinese as an example. In the old days, how much its learners were respected was decided by how beautifully the characters were written down and they could be considered even a masterpiece. Furthermore, these days, the world seems to become smaller and smaller thanks to the advance of technology. People from every corner of the world can be connected easily just after some clicks; therefore, the need to learn new languages to communicate with people around the world is stronger and stronger in this modern life.

In conclusion, I am more persuaded by the idea that people are motivated to study a new language for many reasons , not just for working or traveling abroad.