I think that learning 2 or 3 languages besides the mother tongue is very helpful in gaining knowledge. In the world of today, the main languages of science are: English, German , and French. When one adds a language to the brain, the feeling is becoming a new human. There is a Turkish proverb about this "Bir Lisan, Bir Insan" which means that adding a language adds a human to each one as if the human is doubled or tripled by broadening the horizons of the mind.

Sure it does. Besides all the opportunities appointed by you which is offered to the indian students who learn more than one foreign language, they will be able to research from several sources and once more will be ahead of those who master only one language.

Yes, it a good idea to encourage students to learn many foreign languages from childhood, as would open further opportunities; others may not get benefits.

I think that learning 2 or 3 languages besides the mother tongue is very helpful in gaining knowledge. In the world of today, the main languages of science are: English, German , and French. When one adds a language to the brain, the feeling is becoming a new human. There is a Turkish proverb about this "Bir Lisan, Bir Insan" which means that adding a language adds a human to each one as if the human is doubled or tripled by broadening the horizons of the mind.

I endorse the views by other researchers. It is always beneficial to learn  foreign languages. It helps in several ways like reading original papers in that language, interaction during conferences, active participation while visiting that country, correspondence etc. 

Speaking many languages gives you a wider view of the world: you can read scientific materials, but also newspapers, novels... you can listen to different radio stations and watch foreign TV channels, communicate when you travel abroad or if foreigners visit you... and, if necessary, get a job abroad more easily.

Yes, it is an opportunity that if used properly can benefit the students education and career.

Yes.... learning foreign languages will open further opportunities in different country, in different society. 

My Research Guide, (late) Dr. Byrnes (USA), was proficient in American English (his mother-tongue), and the foreign languages - French, Deutsch, and also Russian. This helped him to have good interaction with control engineers in their native languages.

There is no doubt that learning a foreign language is useful.  There are concepts and ideas that exist in one lnagueage but cannot be fully described in another.

However, it takes time to learn a foreign language. So the number of foreign languages to learnt must be apporopriate.

My father taught me to always read a book in the original language when it is possible. You loose when you read the translations. We who are born in cultures with small languages do not have much choise but to learn many. However much effort is put on language and you wonder how much more research could have been done if your mother tongue would have been English. We had 7 hours latin pro week and did not understand the benefit of it till much much later.

I think knowing many languages for a student can be beneficial as this will broaden his or her horizon of world views. This will help the student sees things / experience events differently through the understanding of different languages. Moreover, younger the student generally s/he can pickup the languages easier & faster. Learning across Latin-based languages can be easier compare to knowing e,g. English and learning eastern languages like Chinese / Japanese etc.

As a Chinese saying says "a person knowing more languages is like a person equipped with different types & sizes of knives (tools) that will be helpful in his or her life-long journey".

However, the world view benefits can be categorized into different aspects e.g work related, social related, cultural related, religious related etc. For example, if the student comes out to work in a US MNC company in South East Asian countries, s/he might find that English is comparatively more important / useful language at workplace (especially in communication with other colleagues in different countries). Native language and local dialects are more practical in governmental interaction, social & cultural aspects etc.

Also need to be noted even when a person is multi-linguals, if s/he doesn’t use a particular language frequently enough, s/he might find the language can be “rusty” when time comes s/he needs to use it.

I agree with the earlier answers. Learning a foreign language enhances the learning process of a student, including his or her understanding of another culture, another country. In my previous studies, self-efficacy is an important factor in the motivation to learn a foreign language.

Dear Han Ping, Richard & Stefan:

I thank you for contributing nice views in this thread. In my view, it is easy to learn foreign languages in school along with other kids as group learning helps and memory of vocabulary will be easy at a young age. I try to learn French but I find it very difficult now, and regret not learning it earlier in my life!

Knowledge is so easily available that if one masters one's own mother tongue with a single internationally used, I mean people of several countries produce knowledge in that language, is enough. However, there several people who are multilingual, but I don't know whether they knowledge extraordinary except in bushiness where a client becomes happy and influenced if conversation is in the client's mother tongue.

In Finland it is claimed that daily use of two languages postpones the dementia with four years

I agree with you dear Hang Ping Fung, " A person knowing more languages is like a person equipped with different types & sizes of knives (tools) that will be helpful in his/her life-long journey". Knowing languages is helpful tool in gaining knowledge and transporting Knowledge,

Had we not learned a foreign language this discussion today would not have been possible. 

The world is shortened by distance with technology,  both in real and virtual contacts. Hence, Learning more languages is definitely beneficial, to bond better

• Language links people
• Communicates "as-is" than with "Translational Losses"