The CNRV English Department is inviting you to an essay competition : On Education
We are looking forward to receiving your contributions on cnrvinternational@yahoo.com. The competition is open until October 15. The best essays will be published.
The first contribution comes from Alina Petrut from 12th E, teacher Laura Sandu. Thank you Alina!
Foreign languages: between importance and ignorance
Ignorance is bliss and knowledge is power! Which of the two should one choose? Which of the two should one give up in order to have the other?
The possibilities that we have, if given the chance of learning at least one foreign language are unlimited. Some children do not have the chance to benefit from such great opportunities, some struggle in order to have a better life and we, the ones that have all we need, do not take advantage of it? That is ignorance then. Let us not talk nonsense and give certain examples. How many children from even the most prosperous African countries know at least two foreign languages? They have other worries like hunger, incurable diseases, poverty, and the list can continue endlessly. The point that I want to and needs to be emphasised right now is that we ought to learn when the time is right, when we do not have other worries.
Earlier I asked which one should be chosen: ignorance or knowledge? Some may say that ignorance because by being ignorant one is blissful, or some may say knowledge because it means power. Honestly, it does not matter whether one chooses ignorance or knowledge because both are wrong in some way or another. When I think of ignorance only one quote comes to my mind: “Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn.” (Benjamin Franklin). Need I say more? How can ignorance be blissful? Human nature is made for continuous absorption of information, our brain is made for never to be at a standstill, it is like a forever hungry little animal, not hungry for food , but hungry for knowledge. As for knowledge, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world”. With this simple quote by Albert Einstein I believe that I have proved that not even knowledge is the supreme power. I do not deny its power, but it is just not enough, just like speaking a foreign language does not mean that one knows everything about its people, culture, traditions.
Furthermore, we are still lucky because nowadays English is still considered a foreign language, but for how long? Is it enough to know just one foreign language in order to say that we are speakers of multiple languages? Many times we may have thought that one language should suffice but what we really do not know is that less and less employees search for one foreign language speaker staff. So, where is the benefit of our spent hours of hard work?
Another thing that I would like to add is that society is changing with the speed of light sometimes. To my mind, knowing at least two foreign languages is essential. Do not think only about better working conditions. Foreign languages are not only about that. They offer us such a great range of opportunities that I do not even know where to start. Let us take for example the possibility of getting to know people better. We can read from thousands of books about anthropology but we are never going to find out all the truth. I personally once met a French person−previously I used to have some prejudices−which made it clear for me that they are not necessarily so “always in love” or that they do not really like when other people laugh of their obvious stress of the “r” letter. Would I have ever had this chance if I had not known French? And the examples can go on and on…
However, some people believe that by knowing at least one foreign language one is superior to the others. People, do not let yourselves be fooled by this ignorant point of view. If you think you know all and do not want to know more, that makes you more than ignorant and that is a shameful position . You may never know enough.
To conclude, foreign languages are more important than we might think and one should try to learn as many as possible. Thus you might” know more than you think you know, just as you know less than you want to know.” Oscar Wilde
Proiectele noastre
