Language

2) Our thinking is influenced by our native tongue.
I believe, that our native tongue affects on our thinking. It is observed in various detailes. For example, representations of time vary in many other ways around the world. For example, English speakers consider the future to be ‘ahead’ and the past ‘behind’. As research showed, English speakers sway their bodies forward while thinking about the future and back while thinking about the past. But in Aymara, a language spoken in the Andes, the past is said to be in front and the future behind. Furthermore, speakers of different languages also differ in how they describe events and, as a result, how well they can remember who did what. English speakers tend to phrase things in terms of people doing things even for accidents. Speakers of Japanese or Spanish, in contrast, are less likely to mention the agent, when describing an accidental event. Moreover, researchers found out that way of thinking of bilinguals changes from one language to another.

3) When a language dies, we lose unique knowledge about the world.
In my opinion, we lose unique knowledge anout the world, when a language dies. Firstly, each language is a key that can unlock local knowledge about medicinal secrets, ecological wisdom, weather and climate patterns, spiritual attitudes and artistic and mythological histories. Overall, it gives information about the life and culture of some nation. It may even mean that we lose information about medical achievements in treatment of some exotic diseases. Of course, that also means impossibility to read books, which may contain significant information. So I believe that when a language pass away, the world gets irreparable damage.

6) Children are better at learning languages than adults.
In my opinion, children are better at learning languages than adults. Firstly, the reason is that have so-called critical perion, that ends at puberty. Studies show, that, certainly, older learners of a second language rarely achieve the native-like fluency that younger learners display, despite often progressing faster than children in the initial stages. It is reinforced by the fact, that adults who study a language frequently can't achieve as good accent as children. Secondly, the first few years of life are the time when the first language develops in the brain active. According to a study, at the age of 8 months children vary strongly in acquiring at all language perception. And then significant changes in their brains occur. In this way babies may easily study several languages and succeed in this.

10) The dominance of the English language is going to be short-lived.
I believe, that English language will stay in place of dominant languages for a long time. Firstly, English nowadays is the most wide spread language. And as it is considered as an international tongue all other the world. A long time needed to shift it from this position. Secondly, it is very difficult for a language to occupy this niche. Neither political, economic, cultural, technological nor military might alone can give one language international value. It takes a combination of all these powers to achieve that. As a case in point, Japanese did not become a dominant language internationally (although it did increase in popularity), despite Japan’s incredible economic success from the 1960s to 1990s.

11) Learning a foreign language makes you a different person.
In my opinion learning a foreign language make you a different person and changes the way of thinking. As study, conducted with Hispanic American bilingual women students to interpret target advertisements picturing women, first in one language and, six months later, in the other. They found that in the Spanish sessions, the bilinguals perceived women in the ads as more self-confident as well as extrovert. In the English sessions, however, they expressed more traditional, other-dependent and family-oriented views of the women. Also a lot of bilinguals mention by theirselves that they act differently when they speak different languages.

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1) The best way to learn a language is to go to a country where it is spoken.
+ When you are surrounded by native speakers you always percieve not only sounds of how the tongue is spoken, but with culture, necessity to start thinking in the language in order to become better in it.
- If you have enough motivation, you are able to learn language as well. There are a lot of educational resources, books, videos etc. You may practice with your teacher and learn language.

2) Minority and rare languages should be protected by the government.
+ People have right for their national individuality. It implies necessity for conservation of their tongue. So the government should guarantee us our rights.
- Government should act in all spheres of society living. And it is more reasonably for it to put more money to poverty prevention or to development of medicines.

5) Countries should protect their official languages against the dominance of English.
+ Significant impact by English may make weaker countrie's culture and traditions.
- Enough amount of English helps to make better relationships with other countries. Close relations with other countries lead to mixing economy with different countries'. In particular, it means increasing the number of foreign business and currency into the economy.

6) The only way to really learn a language is a good old drill.
+ Without enough practice in grammar you cannot properly formulate your thoughts in this language. It makes you unconfident in your abilities.
- Language is a practical thing, and so practice is speaking, listening, writing is significant not less that exercises.

8) There should be more foreign language classes at school and at university.
+ We all live in the modern society and should respond its requirements. As we know, childhood and youth is the time of best abilities to get new information. It is so and for learning languages. It provides opportunity for new knowledge through usage of another language's literature or some other materials. Moreover, knowledge of a foreign language allows broaden the possibilities of field of activity in the adulthood. Close relations with other countries lead to mixing our economy with different countries'. In particular, it means increasing the number of foreign business and currency into our economy.
And so, in my opinion, we should start from focusing on learning languages at school. It indeed may simplify our lifes and the inevitable process of globalization in modern society.
- It is required too much money to study new teachers. Also it means that there will be less lessons in universities in main disciplines.

9) The world would be a better place if everyone spoke one language.
+ Everybody understand each other blah blah blah
- Different views are needed

11) The dominance of English is a threat to other European languages.
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