Taking a world language when in high school is a valuable use of the time spent during high school because it teaches a skill that can be used all throughout life. The level of communication that this skill allows one to achieve is much higher than what that majority of everyday people have, and communication in this way is a very marketable skill as well. Many job opportunities and corporations would see the skill of being able to communicate in a foreign language such as Spanish or French as very valuable.

Taking a world language class is much better to do earlier during education than later because of the length of time that students have at their disposal to learn something new. Perhaps the best time to learn a world language, is in high school. This is because the level of high school world language is advanced enough that the communication skills learned can be retained and carried out, but yet the classes can be taken at no extra charge. If a world language class was taken at a college level, it would cost much more.

Even if the language that a student desires to learn isn’t available at their high school, there are a myriad of applications and websites that are readily available and free of charge that can help users learn a language. This shows that in today’s day and age,  there is no valid excuse as to why somebody couldn’t learn a language, as it is now accessible to almost everyone, as long as they have an internet connected-device. From in-depth courses and fully-featured programs like Rosetta Stone, to the more frequently used free mobile applications like Duolingo, there are applications geared towards people with many different learning styles. Even if a world language is only taken at a basic level, in many cases, basic communication is all that’s needed to get the point of the conversation across. Just taking a couple minutes a day to study on a mobile app like Duolingo can help ingrain vocabulary and basic grammar into the mind of anyone who wishes to learn.

Taking and learning a world language also has many proven cognitive benefits as well. Renate Latimer, an associate professor at Auburn University mentions how, “Skills like problem solving, dealing with abstract concepts, are increased when you study a foreign language.” This is because the understanding of the world around you is increased inside the brain when multiple words are linked to and associated with different objects. And as Latimer shows, this applies in the real world too as, “A second language improves your skills and grades in math and English and on the SAT and GRE.”

In conclusion, taking a world language during your lifetime is a fantastic way to improve overall self-marketability and cognitive thinking.