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Freakonomics Radio

158. Is Learning a Foreign Language Really Worth It?

Freakonomics Radio

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Documentary, Society & Culture

4.632K Ratings

🗓️ 6 March 2014

⏱️ 21 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Yes, it expands the mind but we usually don't retain much -- and then there's the opportunity cost.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hey, podcast listeners, you are about to hear an episode about the ROI or return on investment

0:07.6

of studying a foreign language, which might lead you to think, hey, what's the ROI

0:14.7

on listening to a Freakin'omics Radio Podcast?

0:17.4

Well, if it's anything above zero, then we hope that you'll consider making a contribution

0:22.5

to keep this public radio podcast free and easy.

0:25.9

Just go to Freakinomics.com and click on Donate.

0:29.5

Merci beaucoup, Toda Rabat, and Ancthai Ue Arive Uchim.

0:41.5

The average American student will study a foreign language for two or three years.

0:46.0

Little Red Schoolhouse is a well-regarded private school in Manhattan with a progressive style.

0:51.3

Here, kids start with a second language in Pre-Kindergarten and go all the way through graduation.

0:56.8

Okay, we're at Little Red Elizabeth or a win, and we're going to be in a classroom of fourth grade Spanish learners.

1:06.8

A school Chinese repeat that.

1:10.8

Kids at Little Red start out studying Spanish.

1:16.8

And as they get older, they can either stick with Spanish or take Mandarin or French.

1:22.8

How are they doing so far?

1:24.8

They're tired until a normal Spanish-speaking person in Peru.

1:28.8

And so we're pretty bad.

1:30.8

But for a person in fourth grade who is learning Spanish, I can say we're pretty good.

1:36.8

They are good, and they have big dreams about what learning a foreign language will help them accomplish.

1:43.8

If you have a big business deal with someone and they don't speak English, then you could make a lot of money.

1:49.8

I think I might want to work at a pastry shop or a bakery, and maybe they'll be Chinese or French people, so I could talk to them, like, make another bread roll or something like that in a different language.

2:02.8

I might work at a store because then people who speak other languages might ask you questions.

...

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