By Giselle Lee | Staff Writer
Nothing challenges the brain more than learning a new language.
To enhance students’ experiences in learning about languages, Baylor’s Modern Languages and Cultures Department held its annual Day of Languages during Dr Pepper Hour Tuesday afternoon.
The event included interactions with Baylor language professors, a Kahoot language quiz and a raffle, where students learned different sayings in Chinese, French, Spanish and more.
Iori Okuda, an intern with the Modern Languages and Cultures Department from Hosei University, Japan, was invited by Professor Yoshiko Gaines, who organized the event. Okuda said this event provided her with a space to talk to everyone in many languages and emphasized the importance of putting effort into learning something new.
“Even if you only know a little bit, we can help each other when we talk and try to understand each other,” Okuda said.
Asheville, N.C., freshman Lauryn Ricco was elated to see a language event because of her love of languages. She praised the event for its openness in interactions with professors and for offering takeaways on Baylor’s language department.
“I actually didn’t know there were that many languages at Baylor,” Ricco said. “I was super happy to learn that there were a lot of languages, and it was nice to have a face to associate the languages, too.”
Ricco said it’s a “great idea” to look beyond English and learn as many other languages as possible.
“English is a great language, but there’s a lot of ideas that can only be expressed in other languages, which can help you understand aspects of that culture,” Ricco said. “It’s important to learn other languages and to properly communicate with everyone beyond a basic level. To share ideas with each other and learning each other’s languages is such an important and beautiful thing.”
According to a report by the University of the Potomac, learning a second language improves cognitive abilities, enhances communication skills and facilitates cultural exchange.
Professor Yoshiko Gaines, a senior lecturer in Japanese, said that organizing such events is beneficial for students who wish to include a new language in future semesters.
“Sometimes students want to learn the language, but then advisers push them for getting their major courses down first, saying that this language is hard, or maybe you should not take it,” Gaines said. “If they have fun and they might really think about taking the language as a part of the requirement or even without the requirement. How often do you think you get a chance to learn a foreign language in a classroom after your graduation?”
Gaines also cited the importance of improving one’s empathy by building language skills. She described the process as “putting yourself in their shoes.”
“Language is a window into different perspectives,” Gaines said. “I think it’s important to appreciate other people’s cultures and to respect other people’s perspectives, and you can’t do that unless you know them.”
