It's a small, small world: why study a foreign language? Because it is a small world after all. More and more, Americans can benefit from knowing a second language - What do I do with��?

This simple song describes life in the new millennium. For decades, Americans didn't worry about learning a foreign language because the American economy dominated the world. But as the economy has gone global, the world has shrunk. And the smaller the world gets, the more we need tools to facilitate understanding each other. Language is such a tool.

Of course, not every person can learn to speak every language, so we depend on the skills of translators and interpreters to make ourselves understood. The work they do is a critical component of life in the global village. But even people who do not make their living using a foreign language can benefit from studying a language other than their own.

Not Just for the Pros

There are some very good reasons to learn a foreign language, even if you know you'll never be a pro. Here are just a few:

Foreign language training is useful generally. Knowing a foreign language increases your cultural sensitivity and enhances your travel enjoyment. Even being able to say "hello" and "thank you" opens doors with the people whose country you are visiting. It shows them you are making a sincere effort to be agreeable and to get the most out of your visit to their country.

Foreign language training is useful in school. Learning how a foreign language "fits together" can improve your ability to speak and write English because you are more conscious of grammar and usage rules. Because English has borrowed words from so many languages, learning a foreign language can improve your English vocabulary--helpful on those standardized tests and job interviews.

Latin is increasingly popular for students who intend to major in the sciences or go to medical school because so much scientific terminology is Latin-based.

Foreign language training is useful in other careers. Knowing a foreign language can help you improve your general employability too. Flight attendants can work international routes. Business people work in international trade. Language skills come in handy in jobs that put you in contact with the public, such as retailing or hospitality. Customers and guests may come from anywhere in the world. Good customer relations involves making people comfortable and meeting their needs--and that means being able to communicate in their language.

Pass My Dictionary, Please

After a little study, you may find that you especially enjoy learning a foreign language and are good at it. In that case, a career as a translator or interpreter may be in your future. Here's what these language professionals do and the skills they need to work effectively:

Translators work with the written word, moving language from a source text into the text of the target language. "Translators worry about every word. They can't ignore the difference the choice between but or and can make to the meaning of a sentence," says Meeri Yule, a freelance translator. People who like word games and intellectual puzzles have the right personality for translation. Successful translators also write well.

Yule recommends that students who want to be translators begin with a job where they can do occasional translation jobs and freelance on the side. Some translators she knows began as proofreaders at a translation agency. "You have to work on your skills and be persistent," she says. "With globalization, the demand is there."

Quick! What's the Word for...?

Unlike translators, who can consult specialized dictionaries, interpreters have to have a complete working vocabulary in their heads. Yule says the thought process for interpreters is very different from that of translators: "You have to shorten the idea and get the whole idea out quickly." She occasionally acts as a court interpreter for a client, but only when she is already familiar with the background information.

Court interpreting is a growing specialty. A court interpreter orally translates everything that is said. It's a tricky job because the interpreter has to keep the grammatical person (I) of the speaker, as well as preserve the tone and level of the original language. Court interpreters also do sight translation. This involves reading a document and reciting it in the other language. "Doing tapes" means listening to a taped conversation, writing it down in the source language, and then translating it. Legal investigations often rely on this technique.

Whether you study a foreign language just for the fun of it or with a career in mind, it is bound to be good (or bon, gut, bueno) for you in ways you didn't expect.

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