Most people have forgotten the meaning behind traditional or religious festivals

 

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Essays From Examiners 
 
63 
January 1, 2020 
54.
 
Foreign languages 
Living in a country where you have to speak a foreign language can cause serious 
social problems, as well as practical problems. To what extent do you agree or 
disagree with this statement? 
One of the biggest social and practical challenges that people living abroad face is the 
language barrier. I believe that this can lead to very serious social problems in many 
countries but technology has made the practical issues less relevant over the last several 
decades. 
The main reason that having to speak a foreign language can cause social problems is 
through the breakdown in understanding between people of different cultures. The most 
salient example of this is in the United States where there has been an influx of Hispanic 
immigrants, especially along the Southern border. These immigrants are typically able to 
integrate well if they learn English but those that have not learned have provoked social 
problems and even violent reactions. Many English speaking residents resent the 
immigrants failure to integrate and this has resulted in discriminatory practices and 
widespread racism towards Hispanics. This in turn has caused many Hispanics to develop 
an antipathy towards other residents and segregate themselves in homogeneous 
neighborhoods. 
There are comparatively fewer practical problems caused by not knowing the language of 
the country where you live because of the development of technology in general and 
smartphones in particular. Computers have made it much easier to look up directions, find 
important information and get quick translations. Smartphones have made this even easier. 
If someone doesn’t know the language of the country where they live, they can still find 
restaurants to their liking on Facebook and get simple directions through Google Maps. 
They can even order food online without having to use another language at all. If they need 
to communicate with someone who does not speak their language they can simply take out 
their phone and use Google translate to slowly, but effectively, convey a message. The 
problems that not knowing the language of the country where you live causes are therefore 
minimal and easily overcome. 
In conclusion, I only partly agree with the statement in question. Not knowing a language 
when living abroad can cause social unrest but pragmatic concerns have been mitigated by 
recent technology. In the future, it will become even less important to know the language of 
the country where you live although there is great potential for increased social unrest and 
heightened tensions in many parts of the world. 

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Essays From Examiners