Examination Card 8

You take part in the conference dedicated to foreign languages. Talk about the following:

• why foreign languages are important in modern society;
• whether foreign languages are important for you and why;
• what the most effective ways of learning foreign languages are.

Nowadays more and more people are learning foreign languages. There are several reasons why learning a foreign language is important. Firstly, if you know a foreign language, you can find a good and well-paid job in your home country and abroad. Secondly, a lot more information is available on the Internet for those who know a foreign language than for those who don’t. Finally, there are thousands of schools around the world that offer programs in foreign languages. For those who want to get education abroad it is just necessary to learn the language of the chosen country first.

In Ukrainian schools foreign languages are taught to all children. The foreign language I learn is English. I invest a lot of time and effort into learning English because I want to use all the advantages that I have just mentioned. To begin with, I would like to travel abroad and knowing English I will feel more comfortable in any foreign country. I will be able to take guided tours, order food at a café, ask for directions and talk to local people. Also I will be able to read my favorite books by English and American writers in the original.

However, learning a foreign language takes a lot of time and effort. Fortunately, there are some effective ways that can help you master a foreign language. The cheapest way is to take an English class, to join a foreign language group and to read books and magazines in a foreign language. The most effective but also the most expensive way is to study a foreign language abroad.

To sum up, I believe that anybody who wants to become a well-educated and successful person should learn at least one foreign language.