Another benefit of language study that is often cited is that it makes people more tolerant. It helps us recognize that our way of viewing the world and doing things is not the only way. Our contacts will increase and our understanding and acceptance of diversity will expand. Language and culture are intertwined. By studying a foreign language, students will open the door to knowledge about other cultures and peoples, enlarging their horizons.
Foreign languages lead to an intellectual, geographical and emotional expansion of one's life.
Second language students come to see the interdependence of people in an increasing complex world. They realize that they must care about one another in a totally new way. For students of the 21st Century, foreign language learning is essential. Olga Guadalupe is an instructor in the UWM Department of Spanish and Portuguese. A native of Madrid, Spain, she has a master's degree from and is a doctoral candidate at the University of Pennsylvania.