Comparing the opportunities given to our parents, the preview generation, to ours I’d say that things improved. This not only because of money destined to Education, but also because of people’s mind and their attitude to think. Today, thanks to scientific and technological progress, we are part of a globalized world and we feel the need to be in this world completely. And the first thing we think of is the language, to understand what others say and to be able to express what we want. That’s the reason why nowadays knowing more than one language is a reachness,a way to widen our view, not a lack of identity. 

In the past many people thought of foreign languages as not necessary to know, because studying other’s people language could lead to forgot or despice the own one. Or simply there wasn’t the necessity to go abroad to find job after a university degree. To understand this attitude to be close-minded we have to consider that in the past people travelled less for pleasure, most for necessity and that there was much more possibiliy to find job in the own country.  

So, new generations had to face the “problem” to relate with foreign people, that actually isn’t a problem if you have the means to do it. When we go abroad it’s common to see children or young people who relate with foreigners or ask things in English instead of their parents who keep quiet and don’t say a word. They rely on the capability of their children because they are a bit concerned of the different language, simply because the don’t know it and think that’s it too late. 

Previously the only time dedicated to English or other languages was a few hours of lessons at school, which even if productive, they were too limited and too focused on scholastic English, not too much useful for real life. Now we are given a wide range of possibilities to make practice, speak and learn English (and whatever other language we want), because we are all more aware of the privilege and the benefits to do it. For a university or Secondary student is not difficult to find new experience of attending courses at school (cheaper than the private ones), good programmes at travel agencies or taking part in cultural exchanges organised from the single school of the territory to UE directly. 

Every four years, for example, UE make a large amount of money available for this kind of opportunity and offers students the possibility to go abroad studying while learning a language, especially English. The requirements are the Cambridge Certificates, that you can get easily after a time studying for it. Last year I took part and it was great. I reached some of my goals thanks to this experience, too. As far as I’m concerned, I know to be very lucky thinking of my parents because I approached to a new language earlier than them and I have no worries about speaking it. Comparing to my mum, who at the same age only had read books in English, I’ve already been to England at 16 and stayed in an Irish family at 18. I think this is really a privilege.