In order to pursue educational and employment goals, the trend of learning international languages is getting popular among people, especially the youth, Pakistan Today has learnt. Widely-spoken international languages including Arabic, German, French, Spanish and Chinese allow exposure to the culture, history and literature of particular regions. Several institutes and varsities are offering language courses to boost skills of students. The world, which has become a global village now, demands better understanding of foreign languages in order to bridge the gap between people of different cultures and origins. Experts and academicians have highlighted the various advantages of learning these languages. According to experts, German language could be extremely helpful for students aiming to get scholarship in German varsities, as they offer scholarships for students who know German. Businessmen could also explore entrepreneur opportunities, as Germany is one of the largest economies of the world.
The Punjab University (PU) and the Kinnaird College for Women also offer language courses. Some PU departments have also made it mandatory for students to learn foreign languages. PU BSc (Hons) students have to study German language in the statistics department. There is also a growing demand of translators, especially after the media boom. TV channels and newspapers need translators to monitor the foreign media. Students of BS (Hons) and MS at the Institute of Communication Studies (ICS) also have to select either an international language including German, French, Arabic, Hindi, Persian or a local language whether Pashto or Sindhi. ICS students study the languages during summer vacations. KC also offers German, French and Chinese language courses for outsiders in summer vacations. Students have appreciated their institutes for providing them a magnificent facility to learn an international language at an affordable fee.
English language experts also suggest students to learn Spanish, as English adopted much vocabulary from Spanish, which also helps a person to improve his/her English. People, who are good at English, would not find much difficulty to learn Spanish. Students going to the Gulf learn Arabic, as the language would help them to understand the Holy Quran directly, whereas, citizens pursuing education or work in the Middle East could also get most out of Arabic, as the language is one of the official languages of the UN. Experts claim that Arabic became extremely significant in sectors such as the military, intelligence and politics especially after the horrific incidents of 9/11. Teacher Akhtar said that more languages one learns, more chances he has to discover the knowledge around him. He said that learning international languages did not undermine the importance of Urdu or English but paves the way for students aspiring to live informed in a global village.
PU Statistics teacher Mudassar Jamil, who learned French, said that learning an international language could be extremely stressful but it was not the case for him. He said that by learning language of another country, one could more easily explore the media of that country. Alliance Training and Solutions (ATS), a training centre in Lahore, offers Spoken English, French, German, Korean, Spanish, Chinese, Italian and Arabic courses. An ATS official told Pakistan Today that the tendency of students, seeking admission, in language courses was growing day by day. She said that most students prefer to learn German, other than English, in order to get education in the European powerhouse. With increasing cooperation between Pakistan with China, importance of Chinese language could not be ruled out. As Pak-Sino relations expand in the business and educational sectors, students are showing interest in learning the language.
Learning foreign languages becoming a fad
