Benefits of Learning a Foreign Language

I am writing this post to compliment my posts about Europe and all of the non-English-speaking places I have been to. In almost every country in the world in which English is not the first language or official language, kids are required to learn the language as soon as they enter grade school. At this stage of childhood development, the brain isn't completely done neural pruning yet, so that developed neurons and axons that dictate language comprehension abilities get an extra dosage of things to contemplate and comprehend. Although it is harder to learn another language as an adult, it is not impossible. Here are a few reasons why everybody should attempts to learn a foreign language.

1) There are so many languages out there.

According to one ethnographic study, there are well over 6800 languages that are still used in the world today as of 2018. 6% of these languages account for 94% of the world's population, which means they are around 400 languages that are used to communicate with other human beings around the world. English, as it stands, is only one of those languages. There are so many languages out there to be explored, and all of them and their own respect just as easy and hard as English.

2) It increases cultural awareness.

The best way to become aware of other people in this world is to experience what they experience through their own eyes. When you realize how difficult it can be to communicate with Outsiders from an Insider's perspective, you will become much more aware of the problems they face.

3) It increases hirability.

There are literally hundreds of jobs out there nowadays that are looking for somebody who speaks at least two languages. If you are one of those people, you just made yourself much more marketable in every single job market. Just think, if you speak Spanish, and your client speaks Spanish, you save the middleman of having to hire a translator.

4) It is intellectually engaging.

When you're speaking a language that you didn't grow up with, you usually need to put some sort of thought into your choice of words, your grammar, compensating for that which you do not know, and of course, understanding the point of view of whomever you were communicating with. Being bilingual increases your gray matter in your brain, too. It came in handy for me when I was in Italy, which you can read about here.

5) Being multilingual is impressive to everyone.

I would argue that currently in America, since we are not made to learn a second language as part of our education, that at least three-quarters of a population are monolingual. When I tell people that I've been speaking Spanish since I was 14, that I've attempted to learn Arabic, and that I've caught myself bits and pieces of Icelandic, German, in Japanese, their jaws usually hit the floor. I don't claim to be good at any of these languages, but it is still an incredible feat that most people would never care to accomplish. In countries like India, Indonesia, and Switzerland, though, having fluency in multiple languages is an expectation. It activates a part of the brain that most people don't otherwise get.

6) Businesses usually start up because of foreign trade.

There are hundreds of small startups every single day, and a lot of them in the twenty-first century are based around some sort of foreign culture or for in trading. You could be part of that start up from the ground up if you spoke that particular language.

7) It breaks down barriers.

There's this dilemma in society called the language barrier. However, if you know even a few words of another language, you can help her move that barrier. You grow closer to people's hearts by trying to relate to them on this basic human level.

8) The friends you'll meet and the networking you'll create.

Whether it is a club in high school, an interest group in college, or something in your professional life, you will always meet people who share the same language interests as you. You'll meet them everywhere and anywhere.

9) Everything you learn about a culture and its nuances.

Although I described this briefly earlier, it deserves further explanation. There are so many things that make up a culture that are derivative of language. And of course, vice-versa also applies. As you are learning a foreign language, you will learn about the people, how they dress, how they act, their sense of humor, their social lives, their food, the where they live, their religion, their music, and so many other unique aspects of their lives. You just gained an Insider's perspective to a whole new group of people to become friends with.

10) You'll feel at home anywhere.

If you've already learned one foreign language, then picking up on bits and pieces of another will become a no-brainer exercise. And should you just so happen to land where are you study the language, you'll be even better off yet. It will surprise you when you're language comprehension abilities will come in handy, especially when traveling somewhere in which your first language is not theirs.

On a personal addendum, being forced by my mother to learn Spanish in high school was one of the best decisions of my entire life. When I worked as a cashier at Giant, I had so many incredible conversations with people simply because their first language was Spanish and not English. I've even had it occur where individuals only speak maybe four words of English,

 and I need to rely on someone else for translation or from my own acquired word Bank. When I took Arabic, I never thought that I would be able to go to a mosque and hold a conversation with the Imam and the adherence. When I started learning Icelandic, I never thought I'd be told by several Icelanders that I have perfect pronunciation and should consider visiting again. The doors that foreign language has open for me have been incredible, and really, I still am surprised that when my language abilities come in handy. I will be going back to Europe, but this time, with better German and Spanish skills yet. And if any of you reading my blog ever go abroad, it will serve you the same gratitude and fortune.