Spanish II
I am going to learn Spanish even though none of my family members that I am aware of are fluent in the language. There are a variety of benefits associated with speaking a second language. First, the fact that you can communicate with a whole new group of people is amazing. I mean, sure, I can converse in English with other English speakers, but how will I gain new perspectives if I don’t broaden that particular horizon? Another aspect is that it’s highly likely that my mental acuity will be honed through learning another language. “Bilingualism’s effects also extend into the twilight years. In a recent study of 44 elderly Spanish-English bilinguals, scientists led by the neuropsychologist Tamar Gollan of the University of California, San Diego, found that individuals with a higher degree of bilingualism — measured through a comparative evaluation of proficiency in each language — were more resistant than others to the onset of dementia and other symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease: the higher the degree of bilingualism, the later the age of onset.” (Why Bilinguals are Smarter, Yudhijit Bhattacharjee) Now, I don’t know what my odds are of loss of some functions with age are, but if I can prevent them, I’m down with that. So, with these considerations in mind, I want to learn Spanish.