CULTURE - Now is the Best Time for Students to Start Learning a Language
Oonagh Grant
For native English speakers, learning a second language might seem pointless, especially now that travel is so restricted. But lockdown might be the perfect time to start.
The future looks bleak. With the COVID-19 pandemic severely limiting our travel, and Brexit reducing opportunities for students to work, travel, and study abroad, learning a language – especially a European language – seems like a waste of time. But there is hope. Why then should we download Duolingo and hit the books?
Learning a language for any purpose has its benefits. From increased travel opportunities to a growth in confidence, even to warding off the effects of Alzheimer’s and dementia, there’s no end to what languages can do for you. Even if you never use a language in a professional capacity, or if you never live in the country of your target language, it’s a good hobby to invest in.
It’s cheap. Apps such as Quizlet are free and there are plenty of online resources, such as BBC Bitesize and YouTube, to help you with grammar and vocabulary, among other things.
With Covid-19 impacting work, study and travel, being stuck at home is a better opportunity to learn something new than you might think. If you’re bored of baking and scrolling mindlessly through TikTok, why not try your hand at some Japanese instead?
Queen’s students are at a particular advantage when it comes to opportunities to learn a new language. Even if you don’t study a Modern Languages degree, the Language Centre is an invaluable resource, offering up to 14 different languages at various levels every semester. Be on the look out for emails from your school. Sometimes free courses in certain languages are offered.
The opportunities for students travelling and studying abroad may not be great at the moment, but it won’t always be like this. While Brexit has impacted the availability of the Erasmus+ Programme for students in Great Britain, this isn’t the case in Northern Ireland.
Queen’s and Ulster University students can still take part in the programme, enabling students to work or study abroad for up to one academic year. So why not learn some French for your six months in Paris? You’ll be sure to impress the locals, and it’ll be useful for your work or study. Knowledge of a foreign language sets you apart in the job market and helps you to understand a different culture that bit better. Plus, it’ll be so much easier to make local friends.
How, then, can you get started? Getting rid of any bias you possibly have from your school days is important – learning languages informally as a student is a fun and effective way to pass the time; you won’t have to sit for hours sweating over past-tense verbs in Irish. You’re better than you think. Have some confidence.
Cait, a Modern Languages student at Queen’s said, “Learning languages is important – the more languages you know, the more friends you can make. An advantage of lockdown is that there are plenty of online language events where you can talk to people from all around the world. Try to make learning fun for yourself and don’t get frustrated if you feel like it’s not getting anywhere – just keep going!”
Next, find a language that you really enjoy. It doesn’t have to be a language that is traditionally considered useful, (they’re all useful!) so just pick one you think is interesting. Then, download an app. Duolingo is a great beginner’s resource, or Tandem, which allows you to communicate with native speakers if you feel up to it. You’ll feel a sense of international solidarity knowing that everyone in the world is as bored in lockdown as you are, and you’ll feel accomplished in knowing that you’re dedicating your time to such a productive, useful hobby.
I hope lockdown leads to your discovery of a love of foreign languages, whatever that language may be.
Oonagh Grant is an undergraduate student in History at Queen’s.