Learning another language can help further understanding of various cultures and be an enlightening experience. This is what the administration and student body of Waterloo Community Schools in Waterloo, Iowa have found. The school district's representative, Sharon Miller, noted that there were 880 enrollments at East High and 1,579 West High enrollments in a foreign language class with Spanish being the most popular choice.
Foreign language skills are highly desired in the work place and in Iowa alone, 178,333 residents speak a language other than English at home. Interpreters and translators are in short supply in the region. According to Emily Chafa, deputy director of litigation with Iowa Legal Aid, Spanish interpreters are in high demand. Other languages that are in need of interpreters and translators are Serbo-Croatian, Arabic, Vietnamese, and French.
Even those who are not looking for work as an interpreter or translator can be enriched by learning a foreign language, which may assist them with basic communication.
01 December 2008
