Do you think learning a second language is necessary?

[getpucksin]

Even for those who live in one country and do not plan on leaving, I feel like you never know who you may interact with. I had not spoken anything but Czech before I started to move to the USA to play ice hockey, but I wish I had known it much earlier.

[coxoabean]

Maybe not necessarily necessary, but I do think it can be very helpful. I know lots of people who live here in the US and wish they knew other languages as it'd be helpful in certain situations and the younger you learn the better. When we're young we learn a lot better, whereas when your older you don't. You retain more at a younger age. I know Spanish but that's because my dad is from Mexico and only speaks to me and my family in Spanish, he knows English but speaks Spanish as it's his first language. It seems to be pretty helpful to know other languages but maybe not very necessary. It can be helpful for certain jobs definitely

[SueShe]

thanks for the MHO

[SueShe]

I grew up bilingual and progressively learned a few more languages. All those have helped me communicate in more remote areas where English is not widespread.

Yes, I think it is important to know and speak several languages because you should not expect the entire world to speak a language that is only spoken by less than 10% of the world population.

You will quickly realize that you don't get as far speaking one single language as compared to speaking a number of them.

It has never hurt anyone to be more intelligent than the average or has it now?

[getpucksin]

I think actually 17% of the world speaks English, which does not seem like a lot until you consider how many people that is. But I agree, unless you plan to spend your whole life in your hometown a second language is good. I would not call myself fluent in English yet but I am getting there, and I have started Dutch due to other places I have gone for playing.

[DishLady]

Yes. It's been scientifically proven that bilang kids are smarter and more capable of decoding major aspects of psych, math and science because of their capacity for decoding linguistic structures.

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

It's not, I'm telling you this as a french, it's absolutely not necessary, why would I want to learn a second language? To know more about the world? What for. Nonsense.

🤥

[Crimsyjo]

As an English speaker I think it's very cool but not necessary.

If I was not English... I'd think speaking English super important. It's pretty much the universal language of the world.

[getpucksin]

English is definitely good to learn for others, but I also think native English speakers should make more of an effort to learn outside languages

[Crimsyjo]

I know that is true. It is crazy how we don't. And it can be useful to know more languages for career choices.

[luvstoned4him]

Not necessary but useful if you ever plan on living in another country that doesn't speak English

[Serkee]

Only if your first language isn't English.

[getpucksin]

You can't be serious haha

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

Trolling aside, he's right, you don't _need_ non-english languages in a globalized world using English everywhere. Need is the keyword.