THERE are lots of language institutions both traditional and online offering various types of language programs ranging from a mere weekend to three semesters. There are even universities which offer courses as a doctorate in English literature or a doctorate in French studies. Learning another language is indeed important in our culture all over the world because our contemporaries from the other side cannot speak the same language as ours as well as we cannot speak the same language as them. If one learn another language, he or she certainly has the edge over his or her peers. Learning another language is also used to cross cultural divides.

However, learning another language does not mean that your neighbor a stone’s throw away speaks the same language as yours. In places such as the Iberian Peninsula, there are lots of languages and dialects present such as Spanish, Castillian, Portuguese, Catalan and Basque. The minority of the Moroccan settlers here speak French and Moroccan while most of the expats speak British English as well as German, Norwegian, Danish or Swedish, so you could definitely say they don’t need an English ‘Språkkurs’! One city in Spain – Salamanca – has inhabitants speaking American English the way it is portrayed on Fox News. In the United States, most of the people speak English but the Hispanics which make the largest minority in the country speak Spanish. There are certain states in the northern part of the country – the New England states of Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maine to name a few – which speak English the non-rhotic way. Majority of the people in New Orleans speak French. A few people in Hawaii speak Hawaiian while a few people in Alaska speak the Native North American language. Meanwhile, the two adjoining cities of El Paso, Texas in the United States and Ciudad Juarez in Mexico have residents speaking English and Spanish. In mainland Europe, the smallest continent in the world is made up of several countries speaking their own distinct language. Thus, the European Union has made it mandatory for high school students to learn another language. English is also used as the international language of aviation.

It is in these premises that learning another language is really essential in today’s global society not just for the learner to be competitive but for him or her to simply survive. Imagine a Maranao in the street who cannot speak English arguing with a French who cannot speak English too. That will be ridiculous. But not all people are interested to attend language acquisition courses. But for those who persevere, there are usually three stages of a language course – basic, intermediate and advanced. In the basic course, students are encouraged to write an essay and recite it in front of the class everyday. The length of the essays gradually increases as the semester wears on. There are also schemes like immersing the student in the local community so that the host family will serve as the student’s tutor. Of course, the student must pay for boarding expenses with the host family.