LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

             Foreign languages are absolutely necessary for people no­wadays, because of our growing international contacts with foreign countries.

             There are many reasons, why we begin to study foreign lan­guages. One studies a foreign language to be able to communi­cate with other people who speak this language, other study it for future career. If we are planning to travel to countries where the language we can speak is spoken, we can communi­cate with people there and understand what they are saying to us. If we are working in any branch of science, we naturally wish to read scientific books and magazines in other langua­ges to raise our professional level. Making business nowadays also means the ability of speaking foreign languages. The abi­lity of speaking one or two or even more foreign languages helps people from different countries to develop mutual friend­ship and understanding. We can also make our intellectual and cultural horizons wider through contacts with people of ano­ther culture. It is also very interesting to read foreign litera­ture in its original form. We can also read foreign newspapers and magazines and understand films in foreign languages without any help and translation.

             As for me I learn English, because English is a very popu­lar language all over the world. It is used in many parts of the world and there is a lot of business correspondence and litera­ture in English.

             Also I am going to learn Spanish, because it is also a widely spread language. I think, it is very important to speak at least one foreign language either English or German or French and Spanish or any other one.

             There is a saying: the more languages you speak, the more times you are a human being.

QUESTIONS:

1. Are foreign languages necessary for people nowadays?

2. Why do we begin to study foreign languages?

3. What language do I learn?

4. What language am I going to learn?

VOCABULARY:

foreign — иностранный

necessary — необходимый

nowadays — в наши дни

growing — возрастающий

reasons — причины

to be able — быть в состоянии, уметь

to communicate — общаться, разговаривать

branch of science — отрасль науки

to raise smb’s professional level — поднять чей-либо профессиональный уровень

mutual — взаимный

horizon — горизонт

wider — шире

through — через

in the original — в оригинале

compulsory— обязательный

secondary school — средняя школа

higher school — высшая школа

correspondence — корреспонденция, переписка

at least — по крайней мере