A polyglot love affair

Languages are needed to convey feelings, inner thoughts and for the very basic need of communicating and it is always a matter of pride if you can speak more than one language.

The reason for learning a second language varies from person to person, but the common notion prevalent in our society is that learning a second language can help in higher studies and secure a good position in later life. 

These days, however, learning a language after Bengali has not been limited to English only – people are equally eager in learning other European languages like Spanish, French, German and Italian. China, in recent times, is coming off as an emerging economy and a world superpower; hence the demand for their language is increasing. 

Mandarin is very different from Bengali, but that is not an obstacle for people learning it. Receiving scholarships for higher education in China gets a little easier if the applicants know the language, which is why the demand for this language is currently evident in our country. 

People from the business sector are also keen on learning the language, as a big amount of business in the garment and textile industry is done with Chinese companies. While striking business deals it does help if Bangladeshis at least know basic Mandarin to communicate better with their Chinese counterparts.  

To help people learn Chinese, there is a Confucius Institute at the North South University, which was formally launched in 2006, in partnership with Yunnan University, China. The aim of the institute is to promote Mandarin as a language, and to understand and experience Chinese culture through the process of language learning.  

The eligibility to join the institute is minimum ten years of schooling and the understanding of English for all the four components of reading to listening. They offer four levels of learning the language, where the first level teaches the basic speaking ability with some character writing. 

Alliance Française in Dhaka has been a popular destination for learning French. This language institute has three branches in the city, located at Gulshan, Dhanmondi and Uttara. According to their website, they get more than around 5000 students each year. The number listed shows the amount of people interested in learning the language, where the reason might vary from securing a good job to a way for immigration. 

French gives up to 24 points for immigration candidates for Canada, which might be a matter of huge interest for many candidates. French is also one of the working and official language for the United Nations, the European Union, UNESCO and NATO, so people aiming for a job at these places need to be proficient in the language.

The Institute of Modern Languages of the University of Dhaka also offers French, along with various other languages. This institute alone has the facility to teach Arabic, Chinese, Korean, English, German, Italian, Japanese, Persian, Russian, Spanish, and Turkish. They have a library and five language labs in the institute to facilitate learning.  The institute was established in July 1974, and its main objective is to provide a facility to study modern languages. 

Learning languages is a form of art – the more you know, the more you are enriched. You don't just learn a language; instead, you get familiar with their culture and lifestyle. It is a broadening experience; you get to see the world from a different perspective. It is a fun process and a priceless journey you will surely remember.

By Lameya Alma Amin