Customer Reviews

Why You Need a Foreign Language - And How to Learn One: English Speaking Professionals and the Global Challenge

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Mr. Trimnell's main thesis is that English-speakers (and Americans in particular) have voluntarily placed themselves in a position of disadvantage by neglecting to learn other languages. He backs up his position with some convincing data from the worlds of politics and business. There are a few points that he argues a bit too strongly, but his basic arguments are solid.

While other Americans are trying to get everyone else to learn English, Trimnell is basically stating that by relying on the linguistic skills of educated speakers in other countries, we are allowing a small group of foreign voices to shape our insights into other cultures. (As a woman who has done business in Japan and elsewhere in Asia, I can attest that this point of his argument hits the nail on the head.)

As Trimnell says, many Japanese businesspersons can learn about the U.S. market by reading publications written for Americans. American executives, on the other hand, are not able to easily gather information about the Japanese market. Mr. Trimnell also points out that while many people in the world speak a little English, only the educated elite are truly fluent. This has ramifications for tourists and businesspersons alike.

The book also includes some useful tips about how to learn a language. Some of Mr. Trimnell's suggestions are quite helpful, although he stops short of laying out an entire program.(I would have liked to have seen just a bit more detail in this area.)

Additionally, the author discusses some of the major world languages, and their usefulness to businesspersons.

A pretty insightful and useful book, all in all.

I am happy to finally read a book debunking the myth that learning a foreign language no longer makes sense for Americans (or Brits, or Australians) because "everybody" speaks English nowadays. Even as a mere tourist, I was told repeatedly before a trip to Paris that "everybody there speaks English" and that I would never need to use my beginning French. Wrong, wrong, wrong! Try losing your passport in the airport, as I did, and trying to negotiate what steps to take next, without knowing French. Thankfully, my far-more-fluent brother was with me, or I might still be there!

However, this book is directed mostly at professionals and businesspeople and at those aspiring to such careers. I think this book should be required reading for high school freshmen who hope to take part in the global economy, so they can get started on choosing and learning one or more foreign languages without further delay. This book provides the information needed to help students decide which language to pursue; it also provides a real motivation to study seriously.

But this book is more than a debunker and a motivator. It is filled with practical tips for language-learning and key pointers (it is a rare language book that tells you bluntly that knowing "a little bit" of a language will be of no use at all for business purposes and that you will have to work hard and long to achieve the necessary proficiency). And I appreciated the succinct writing style -- there is very little of the usual banter or other padding here. This book is exactly as long as it needs to be.

I recommend this book for businesspeople, for future businesspeople, and for anyone who is intrigued by languages but wonders if it still makes sense to study them in the 21st century. It is also a great help to those who already plan to, or have already started, studying a language but who would like some guidance as to the best way to proceed and the best materials to purchase. Excellent book!

This little book presents a great case for anyone who is seeking to further their career or just seeking personal enrichment to acquire at least one additional language. The author also debunks the myth of the univerality of English. The book is full of information on the importance of learning a second langage, the most sought after languages by global employers, the relative difficulty of learning each by english speakers, the types of materials that are best for learning them, how to find these materials, and internet sites of news for listening to and for reading almost every language under the sun. All in all this is a must buy for anyone contemplating picking up one or more additional langages on their own for what ever reason. It is a bargain at the price so just get it!

Most books about linguistics are written by academics for the scholastic audience. Trimnell has created something unique here, by approaching the topic from a practical, private-sector perspective. A book like this is long overdue, now that so many U.S. companies are doing business in overseas markets where English is not the primary language.

I especially liked the chapter about learning the other side's language even when they do speak English. As the author explains, Americans who rely on the language skills of others really are accepting a position of weakness. We tend to take the attitude that we can ignore foreign languages because English is popular overseas. This isn't necessarily the case!

Trimnell lays out some valuable advice about learning foreign languages. He explains how to handle non-Latin writing systems, grammar, vocabulary, and conversation. He has obviously spent a lot of time thinking about how to best learn languages, and he gives the reader a long list of suggestions and pointers.

This edition is now out-of-print.

The new edition of "Why You Need a Foreign Language & How to Learn One" (Beechmont Crest Publishing, 08/2005) is available on Amazon at ISBN: 0974833010.

The first part of this book argues for the importance of foreign language skills. The arguments are persuasive and Mr. Trimnell backs them up with data and references. They are however, almost entirely from a business perspective.

This is not a bad thing since that is the premise of the book. After all, the book is subtitled "English Speaking Professionals and the Global Challenge." You probably don't need anyone to tell you that language learning is culturally enriching and may prevent brain-rot, but it is mentioned in the epilogue just in case. (Well, not the part about brain-rot.)

The second part offers some practical advice for language learners and recommends materials from a number of publishers. The advice is sound and I agree with nearly all of the recommendations. Mr. Trimnell gets extra points for realistic estimations of learning times.

This is a good book for people who are considering learning a language for business reasons. It will also come in handy for those who feel like they constantly have to justify their language learning. And it makes the perfect anonymous gift for the boss who just doesn't get it.