Goethe teaches: He who does not know foreign languages does not know anything about his own. But why? It is subject to hundreds of pages… Knowledge of foreign languages makes an invaluable contribution to the mastery of one’s native language. Languages from the same root broaden vocabulary, deepen understanding of words, strengthen the meaning of common radicals, give the student an arsenal of syntactical resources applicable to his language. Languages from different roots, in turn, challenge the intellect, force the brain to deal with a different organization of language—teaching how to structure thought differently,—strengthen the understanding of word classes, presenting them with new applications. This without mentioning the gains of cultural nature: language is the manifestation of a people’s character; to study its evolution and its particularities is to know a new way of understanding and expressing reality. Therefore, the obvious conclusion: assimilation is dependent on comparison; one apprehends the essence of something when opposed to what is different. And so, the words of the master are wise: deep knowledge of native language requires knowledge of foreign languages.
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