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.

Where Time Stood Still

When I was a senior in high school and in honor's choir, our group got invited to go to New York City for a day and a half to perform and see the city. We also got to see a musical, Once. Our hotel may have been in New Jersey, but we lived pretty much the entire trip in New York City, besides travel time of course. Everything about my experience was a trip to remember.

I awoke on a Saturday morning around 6:30 in order to catch the bus from Frank's Theaters in York. There were about 50 of us who were going on this trip, all of us very talented, experienced singers and aspiring musicians. Five of us were coming from West York to go on this trip, myself included. Previously, the five of us had gone to the farm show complex in Harrisburg every year with our select vocal Ensemble to sing Christmas carols and more. This time, we would be putting on a small concert in St John's Cathedral, the largest church in downtown New York City.

The bus ride lasted four and a half hours, and included the pit stop for coffee and a bathroom break halfway through. They had Burger King at this gas station for whatever reason, so I picked up some hash browns and a sandwich to tide me over until we ate dinner. This was my first time ever setting foot in New York, much less New York City. As soon as we came through the tunnel that led into New York City and Lower Manhattan, all of us started cheering with enamored excitement.

The city was huge. The people were everywhere, and all of them usually friendly. You could literally go up to anybody on the street and strike up a conversation. It was the biggest cultural hub I ever seen, even more so than Paris and Switzerland. It was incredible. And who would have known that it wide Just a few hours north of me?

Normally, the honors choir goes to New York City and sings in the Rockefeller Center, and sings for a big audience. We weren't as lucky, and I had not gone there before. Simply because of monetary constraints, I was only able to go this one year. 

When we got to the cathedral, our mouths were agape after seeing how big the church was. We performed at 10:30 in the morning to a room of mostly parents. Our first song was "O sifuni mungu", an African spiritual, and we really got a feel for the sheer dynamics of this cathedral. The ceiling was 120 feet high, and echoed like mad. We hit our last chord and our next song, "Lux Aurumque" by Eric Whitacre, and our director pulled out a stopwatch. 8 Seconds. Our last chord run out in the cathedral for 8 Seconds. Chills ran down my spine. A tear ran down the face of the person beside me.

The powerhouse of a cathedral that we sang in.

The guys ensemble sang hello "Mary Lou" , a barbershop ensemble song, and the girls ensemble saying "mouth music", an Irish spiritual. We sang a song of joys, and mixed meter cantata. We sang a few more songs before ending our set with "Why We Sing", followed by an encore of "Let the River Run", as re-imagined by Carly Simon. This powerful song was originally a Quaker spiritual, but now would become the most powerful song I have ever song in a choir. There were four percussionists, including myself, but only two of us went on the trip. We slammed our drums loud and proud. 

What an incredible concert, only to be followed by a tour of Times Square, a few picture opportunities, and then our first Broadway show. We saw the musical ones, and it immediately became my favorite musical. I broke down about the soundtrack, as everything about this single stage single set  Broadway show was incredible and Unforgettable. Although I performed in musicals in my own I was never the biggest fan of them, until this day.

We then ate at Hard Rock Cafe, making sure to purchase souvenirs. I had a collection of drumsticks from Hard Rock, and this would be a addition number 5. We then had two hours to ourselves to roam around, where we checked out the Nintendo store, and their biggest candy store. We then met up in Time Square around 6 at night.

At this point in the trip, we all looked at each other, happy to be alive. Our director put up a high sign to get us all together as a group, and said that he had a wonderful idea to stand in the center of Times Square and start an impromptu acapella version of Let the River Run. And this is the magical moment where time Stood Still.

Some friends and I in Times Square. Wait for it...

As you may be aware, Times Square is one of the busiest parts of New York, and  New York City is one of the busiest cities in America. There is hustling and bustling and lots of cars honking their horns everywhere. Lots of advertisements on the big screens in the Big Apple, mostly for musicals and products that are up and coming. When we started singing though, the crowds gathered at the outdoor Amphitheater at Times Square all came to a quiet halt. There were no words. No cars honking. Just the Euphoria of the moment, and at least 400 people listening to a group of high schoolers sing Carly Simon, recording us on their cell phones, taking pictures, and listening. 

And then all of a sudden, an image of us appeared on one of the Billboards, and the honors choir was on display for all who looked on the other wise illustrious advertisements. We finished our song on a high A from the sopranos and a middle D from the basses, swelling into an uproar, ferociously. A 5-second halt, and then the Applause started like mad. 

That just happened. Time Stood Still. No,;New York City, Stood Still, just to listen to us.

What an Incredible gift we had been given this day. We used our talents to give back in the only beautiful way that we knew how to. Triumphantly, we returned to our tour bus, ready to get dinner at a local pasta restaurant. Because we were part of a group, we got a discounted rate, and all of us got a four course meal out of the deal. Between this and the gracious hospitality, we had to thank them in the only way we knew how. My percussionist colleague Dakota and I started drumming on the table, and once again, the choir was letting the River Run. You should have seen the smiles on their faces.

And so it came to pass, that this would be my first glimpse into the wondrous world that is New York City. This was my first time going there, but most certainly not the last. Until next time I stumble upon the Big Apple, I would always continue to let the River Run. And I would let all of the dreamers wake the nation.