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.
