7 Reasons Why You Should Learn A Second Language

Learning a new language may seem like a hard task. But anyone who has gone through the effort of knows that it’s definitely worth it. There are so many reasons why learning a language can enrich your life, and in this article, we’ll look at 7 of the best reasons why it should definitely be something you tick off your bucket list.

1. Because you can

It’s kind of stating the obvious here, but the best reason to do this is simply because you can. There are no downsides to learning a new language, but there are plenty of benefits. If you really believe it’s too difficult, then consider this: children in countries where English is the second language can often speak it fluently before the age of 10. If a young child can learn a second language, why can’t you?

2. Banish the possibility of unemployment

If you can speak a second language, it’ll be easier to find a job later and you can work in foreign countries.

Here are four reasons why speaking a second language can help you in your career:

  • Marketability – When creating your resume, you can showcase yourself as the most appealing candidate by referencing a second language. For example, in the retail and manufacturing industries, knowing another language like Spanish is invaluable.
  • Distinguishability –You can also differentiate yourself from other applicants. Knowing a second language could be the talent that gets you an interview.
  • Relationship building –Speaking to someone in their own language can break down barriers and allow everyone to feel more comfortable and confident. This is important in a business setting. When you’re working with clients, vendors and colleagues, knowing their language can elevate the professional relationship, leading to more sales, better service, and stronger interactions.
  • Appeal to international companies –Knowing another language gives you the opportunity to showcase yourself as a global employee, and you can work for an international company. If you love travelling, you can increase your chances of being chosen for international travel based on your abilities to speak a foreign language. You could even be promoted!

In an increasingly globalised world, knowing a second language can give you a competitive edge and make your job easier. The skill is especially useful in the following industries: hospitality, healthcare, sales, education, legal, trades, and IT.

What’s more, there are always going to be jobs available for translators and linguists. There are employment opportunities in schools, intelligence agencies, call centres, tourism businesses, and major corporations. Knowing the local language will also make it easier if you’re intending to teach English in a foreign country.

If improving your employment prospects is the primary motivation for learning a new language, then it’s best to choose one that provides good opportunity. Spanish, for example, is the primary language in 22 countries, and there are 52 million Spanish-speaking people in the United States alone. Bulgarian, on the other hand, is only widely spoken in Bulgaria.

For work in the tourism sector, languages such as Chinese, Japanese, and French may prove useful. For intelligence, policing, and military work, all languages are in demand (even Bulgarian), but especially:

  • Indonesian
  • Korean
  • Chinese
  • Hindi
  • Punjabi
  • Farsi
  • Arabic
  • Spanish
  • Portuguese
  • French

3. It can make travel easier and more interesting

Knowing a foreign language obviously helps to smooth the way when you are travelling in a country where that language is widely spoken. Some languages even help you in countries where the language is not the primary language.

For example, knowing Indonesian will also be helpful when travelling in Malaysia, because the two languages are very closely related. Most Indonesians can understand Malaysian, and most Malaysians can understand Indonesian. Many other languages have similar crossover ability.

4. There are cognitive benefits

Even the word ‘cognitive’ comes into English from another language (Latin). Numerous studies have found that learning additional languages has many benefits to the mind. Among the benefits claimed include:

  • Improved ability to learn new things
  • Improved memory retention (ie remember lists, names, phone numbers, and directions better)
  • Improved decision-making skills (ie make decisions that are more rational, including better financial decisions)
  • Improved multi-tasking capacity
  • Increased creativity
  • Being more focused and alert
  • Being better at making plans and setting priorities
  • Ability to prioritise tasks better
  • Getting higher scores on reading, vocabulary, and math tests
  • Greater perception of your surroundings
  • Not falling for marketing hype
  • Ability to understand other people’s points of view
  • Decreased risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

As you can see, learning a new language is a good workout for your brain, making it healthier and more engaged, so you’re less likely to experience memory loss and cognitive decline. And most importantly, you don’t have to be fluent to reap these benefits!

How exactly does learning a new language benefit your brain?

Learning a new language will make your brain more efficient, as you’ll activate different brain networks, including areas that are known for speech comprehension, and use less brain power to solve tasks.

Additionally, it’ll increase the size of your brain’s language centres and the hippocampus, which is the area of your brain that’s responsible for forming, storing, and retrieving memories. It’ll also increase the density of grey matter (size and number of nerve cells) in the auditory, motor, and visual-spatial areas of your brain. What’s more, you’ll have better-maintained white matter (nerve fibres) in your brain.

Learning a new language will also boost the number of neural pathways between parts of your brain and you’ll develop better connectivity between different regions of your brain.

As a result of all of this, the structure of your brain will also change, becoming bigger as you continue to learn new words.

5. It can save your life

Would you believe that knowing a foreign language can save your life? Well, it’s true, and there are various reasons why, including:

  • Many warning signs in other countries may not be translated, or may be incorrectly translated. Understanding these signs properly is vital for keeping safe.
  • If you get arrested or you’re involved in a traffic accident in a foreign country, the local people won’t enjoy the usual advantage they’d have over you, because you will understand what they are telling the police, and you will be able to negotiate directly with the police yourself.
  • You may be able to talk your way out of a dangerous situation if you find yourself in trouble with locals while travelling.

6. It’s impressive

Not everyone makes the effort to learn foreign languages, so the fact that you have done so is sure to win you respect and maybe even admiration from others.

7. Learning a new language is never boring

Probably the best reason to learn a new language is because it’s fun. You will find much joy in the process of discovery, and as your skills improve you’ll have good reason to feel proud of your accomplishment. With so many good reasons to learn another language, and no real reason not to, it’s really something you ought to consider.

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Gladys Mae

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Gladys Mae serves as the General Manager and Head of Student Services at the International Career Institute. Gladys holds a degree in Mass Communication - Broadcast Media from the University of San Jose-Recoletos. She joined ICI in 2010 and has over the past 12 years been instrumental in providing leadership and guidance to staff and students alike. Prior to joining ICI Gladys led a multifaceted career with key roles in the banking and business process outsourcing industries.