Why Learning Languages Still Matters in Today’s World
Michael Rabbidge
In a time when artificial intelligence can translate speech in real time and global communication appears to run seamlessly in English, the question arises: Why should we still learn other languages? Yet, despite our hyper-connected world, the need for language learning is more urgent than ever, especially in Aotearoa New Zealand, where second-language learning is at its lowest level in a century.
This decline is not merely a curriculum issue; it’s a societal one. Countries like New Zealand risks losing its ability to engage diplomatically, economically, and socially with the rest of the world. But more than that, we risk depriving future generations of the rich personal and cognitive benefits that come with learning another language.
Language Learning as Social Investment
Language learning isn’t only about acquiring vocabulary and grammar—it’s also about investing in identity, belonging, and future opportunities. Bonny Norton’s Theory of Investment reframes language learning not as a technical process, but as a deeply social one. When students learn a new language, they are investing in access to new communities, economic mobility, and cultural capital. They are negotiating who they are, and who they want to become.
Unfortunately, in contexts like New Zealand where English dominates, many students don’t always perceive this investment as valuable. Why bother learning Japanese, Spanish, or Samoan when the world “speaks English”? But this assumption fails to recognise that language learning is a gateway—not a barrier—to participating in global conversations, particularly in diplomacy, trade, and intercultural understanding.
Moreover, in a Pacific nation like ours, learning languages like te reo Māori, Tongan, or Mandarin is not just about global competitiveness—it’s about honouring relationships, fostering empathy, and building a socially cohesive society.
Reigniting Motivation
The decline in language study also points to a crisis of motivation. Traditional models of language education have long relied on extrinsic motivators: exam scores, university prerequisites, or parental pressure. But research in applied linguistics tells us that intrinsic motivation—feeling connected, competent, and purposeful—is what sustains long-term language learning.
Motivation is also socially shaped. Learners are more likely to persist when they see meaningful uses of the language around them and when their identities are affirmed in the learning process. This means making language education relevant to students' lives and aspirations, whether it’s through pop culture, community engagement, or future travel plans. It also means acknowledging and valuing the multilingual identities many students already hold, particularly in our increasingly diverse classrooms.
What’s at Stake
When we cut language programs or deprioritise them in schools, we’re sending a message: that multilingualism is optional, even expendable. This not only limits students’ opportunities—it narrows our collective future.
We need to reclaim language education as a national priority, not just for its instrumental benefits (although those are real: better job prospects, cognitive gains, and higher intercultural competence), but because it nurtures the kinds of citizens we want to raise—curious, empathetic, and capable of living and working across boundaries.
A Call to Action
Reversing this decline depends not only on policy changes, but on communities, schools, and individuals recognising that language learning is not a luxury—it’s a necessity.
We need to reframe the conversation. Language learning is not just about global rankings or economic competitiveness. It’s about who we want to be in an increasingly complex, multilingual world. Let’s inspire learners not just to study a language, but to see it as an investment in their future—socially, culturally, and economically.