**The media below contains the opinion of an individual student and therefore does not represent or speak to the values of Vestavia Hills High School and Vestavia Hills City Schools**
With course selection coming up, you may be wondering what electives are worth taking. VHHS offers five language electives: Spanish, French, German, ASL, and Latin. Choosing one of these classes as an elective has many benefits.
Firstly, learning a second language can improve your understanding of English. English has many cognates which are words with similar meanings and sounds with these languages. 30-40% of English words have a Spanish cognate, 40-50% have a French cognate, 29% have a Germanic origin, and over 60% have a Latin root.
Secondly, learning a second language improves attention span, memory, and concentration. New areas of the mind are developed and strengthened by learning a new language. Also, learning another language now may prove beneficial later in life. Speaking two languages will make you positively stand out to employers. Being able to make foreign relations and communicate with customers that don’t speak your native language will help further your professional career.
Speaking another language doesn’t just have professional benefits. You’ll be able to access a whole other culture. Books, television shows, movies, and music that you couldn’t previously understand or think to immerse yourself in are now at your fingertips. Travel anxiety can also be decreased by speaking another language. You can travel to foreign places and not worry about people not being able to understand you. You can make connections with people from other countries and learn about the similarities and differences between cultures. It will increase your travel experiences and ability to appreciate and learn about other places and cultures.
Finally, I hope I’ve made some of your course selections a bit easier. I know I have certainly benefited from learning another language and that hopefully, you will too.
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