A persuasive/ argumentative essay
Chart 1:
Benefits of being multilingual
A Japanese speaker in America will refer to English as a foreign language; this is because English is not spoken in his native country. A foreign language can be defined as a language that people of a given place do not speak. A person who speaks only his or her first language that is commonly referred to as mother tongue is called a monolingual and a bilingual is a person who knows a second language (Fulcher 4). Any language learnt after the mother tongue is called a second language. Some people have learnt more than one language and they are multilingual. Globalization and interdependence of countries is increasing every day and knowledge of more than one language is important.
The world contains a large population of people who speak diverse languages. The modern technology, urbanization and international businesses are turning the world into a global village. These factors have brought people in touch with each other making the world appear smaller and smaller every day. This has pushed most countries to accept a multicultural society by encouraging learning of a second language in their institutions. Therefore learning more than one language is beneficial to a country and to the learner.
Exposure only to mother tongue retards the brain in its cognitive functioning (Fulcher 8). Students who have learnt more than one language are able to think critically and creatively. They also are able to solve problems more effectively because they look at it in more than one way due to their increased mental flexibility. They are also able to provide more than one solution to a given task. In high school these students score higher grades because they are able to tackle problems in mathematics and other language-related subjects with ease.
In the global market most employers are looking for people who are bilingual or multilingual. Due to the increased internationalization of businesses, tourism, travel and technology multilingual jobs are on the increase. A worker speaking a second language has a higher chance of being promoted. Persons speaking a second language are also employed as interpreters and translators. Due to the immigration of Spanish speaking people into America translators and interpreters were needed (Fulcher 10). It is clear that a person becomes a valuable asset to the nation when he or she learns a second language.
People travel to different parts of the world for pleasure and work. Africa, America, Asia and Europe have different physical features and cultures that attract tourists. A tourist in a foreign country finds it easier to associate with the people if he knows the language of that country. He is able to understand those people and their culture making him feel less isolated and instead enjoy the travel experiences.
In the call for better understanding internationally the knowledge of another language is important. International organizations find the knowledge of different languages as an important tool in communication (Fulcher 13). It improves understanding globally and helps to penetrate communication barriers in a single language speaking nation.
Learning more than one language is soon becoming compulsory for everyone. With the world becoming smaller every day due to internationalization of most activities, being multilingual is beneficial. This is evident in learning institutions that are both international and local. Most students move to learn abroad and some lecturers find teaching jobs in foreign countries. Globalization makes the knowledge of a foreign language important in the global market. Tourism industry is also growing with people travelling to different parts of the world. The tourists and the hosts need a common language to be able to communicate effectively. United Nations Organization is an example of an international union that brings the world together. They need to use different languages to communicate to different societies in the world. Therefore, knowledge of more than one language is beneficial.
A comparison and contrast essay
An active student and a passive student
In class students learn in different styles, some students participate actively while others prefer to listen attentively. Others understand very fast while some will take some time to understand a certain topic. It is also true that some prefer certain subjects to others and they perform best in them. Despite these learning styles students may be categorised either as active students or passive students with few falling in between. An active student is described as one who participates and works hard in class to achieve the best grades. On the other hand, a passive student is one who does little to be successful in the studies and also in life.
An active student is always prepared and in contrast a passive student does little to prepare for the lessons and tests. When a student does not understand something he should ask questions, this helps him to participate fully in the discussion. An active student asks questions during discussion but a passive one will neither ask nor answer. He comfortably sits at the back of the class and not attentive to the teacher, this is different from an active student because he prefers sitting in the front row and is very attentive. An active student is interested in learning and he prefers reading some topics ahead of the rest. He studies other relevant materials outside what the teacher taught on the contrary a passive student thinks that acquisition of knowledge happens automatically without any effort.
Assignment is one of the ways in which a teacher ensures that the students are active both in class and at home. Active students do their work on time and submit it for marking but passive students will sit at the back in class and chat. At home they prefer watching the television to completing the assignment. Every student is expected to use the five senses in the learning process, energy both mentally and physically is required (Richardson 30). A passive student does not use energy to acquire knowledge but an active student does. Retention of acquired knowledge is as a result of application and evaluation of the reading. An active student always comprehends the reading and retains the information and this is different from a passive student. The scores of passive students are low in contrast to those of active students.
In few circumstances the passive students compare to the active students. Every student is talented and gifted differently, some are very active in class but poor in extra-curriculum activities but all are of great benefit to the school. Both active and passive students comprehend the reading but they have different retention rates. This causes differences in performance but it should not be concluded that passive students do not comprehend at all. An active student is able to make choices and decisions and the same is to true to a passive student only that the choices and decisions made may be different. Both active students and passive students listen to the teacher only that the latter tune in and out when listening. Students score and make mistakes in their examinations whether active or passive in class.
In conclusion, being active or passive is the choice of a student. It takes passion to learn new things in life and we should not perceive learning as something automatic but as a process we should be involved in. Learning involves receiving and giving rather than just consuming without giving out (Richardson 31). Students should be willing to use their mental energy in thinking instead of resisting changes brought by knowledge. Every student is capable of performing excellently when he becomes active rather than passive in class.
Works cited
Fulcher, G. Testing second speaking. Sage plc, (2003): 4-14
Richardson, M. Succeeding with struggling students: a planning resource for raising achievements. Corwin press, 2006: 26-31