It can be costly learning a foreign language at a college or in another country. Those studying abroad will have to pay for accommodations, transportation and food along with foreign language classes.
Taking a class in a foreign language at a community college or university is also expensive, costing between a few hundred to thousands of dollars, especially if that's going to be your major or focus in school. Be aware that financial aid won't cover the costs if you're only taking foreign language classes or if you're a part-time student.
Some foreign language software can cost a few hundred dollars or more. And a private foreign language instructor can cost thousands of dollars, according to the Gazette Xtra. Consider how (or where) you want to learn the foreign language along with the expenses.
You will experience difficulties grasping the language, especially if you're new to it. It doesn't matter if you study the language in another country, at a college or at home. It may take you a few years to fluently speak the language. This is especially the case for adults or those who have been out of school for some time. The reason why we take foreign language at such a young age is because we're open to understanding it at such a young age, according to the Eric Digests website. At that time of our lives, our brains are able to adapt to two languages at once. As you get older, this can be challenging.
The time you take adjusting to and learning a foreign language may not be worth the payoff in the end. According to Blake Hounshell, managing editor of Foreign Policy magazine, the time spent learning a foreign language could be better spent learning about science or mathematics. Hounshell feels that our youth are wasting their time learning two languages in school, especially those living in the United States. Those who live in the United States (even other parts of North America) don't need to learn a foreign language since most foreigners speak English. For example, Europeans need to learn a variety of foreign languages since they live in a closer proximity to each other. Instead, we should learn about other subjects that will benefit fit us academically or professionally, he wrote in his blog.