As language educators, we have all been asked this or a similar question by students, parents and administrators. Most of us have focused our educational efforts on one or two languages, and it is logical that our love for those languages and cultures could bias our answer in one way or another. However, the best answer to this is the simple one – STUDY ANY LANGUAGE. Why? Because the study of any language is the study of a culture other than our own, and studying a foreign language gives the learner the tools to interact with a multitude of different cultures.
Language study (and through language study intercultural competence) provides students with transferable skills they can employ well beyond the country (or countries) where the target language is spoken. Of course, a student who wants to eventually live or work in France should focus on improving his or her fluency in French language and culture. However, consider for a moment an interesting parallel between learning a foreign language and learning mathematics. Most children will not grow up to be mathematicians, so why then would we emphasize the importance of learning fundamental math skills?
