Despite a lot of native English speakers assuming that everyone around the world has a complete grasp of the English language, this is a myth.
To put it into perspective, there are roughly 7000 distinct languages spoken throughout the globe (UNESCO), of which English is only one. Although it is the world’s lingua-franca, there are thousands more languages that are equally as important in their native country.
Learning a second (or even third or fourth!) language is vital if you’re interested in connecting with the rest of the world properly. Here are 5 reasons why you should start learning a second or third language:
- It helps you broaden your horizons and understand different cultures.
To put it simply, learning languages shapes the way that we think. It opens our eyes to different cultures, creates a deeper understanding of human variety, and acts as a mediator between different people.
While viewing different cultures through an English speaking lens is beneficial, the culture can’t be understood properly without understanding the language spoken and the language’s history.
For example, in Mexico, there are many interesting cultural festivals that are celebrated in the streets. A common festival activity is the pinata, which is a decorated paper mache (or clay) container filled with candy and small toys, similar to an American piñata; however they do it differently!
Instead of breaking open the pinata, Mexicans use them as instruments of celebration by placing fireworks inside the pinata and lighting them on fire. When lit, the fireworks explode inside of it which is an experience like no other! But without understanding their language, this would be hard to explain.
- It benefits business
Many of the largest companies around the world require their employees to learn another language for many different reasons. However, it’s not just major corporations that benefit from language learning in the business world.
Small businesses benefit from learning different languages by improving the way they do business. For example, learning Spanish will help you expand your client base to include more Latin American countries, which will open the door to more business opportunities around the world. The niche that these smaller companies operate in also benefits from the knowledge of different languages, with public relations firms employing translators on a regular basis.
As well as this, many businesses choose to outsource their services to those abroad. For example, many start-ups outsource their sales to sales teams abroad. To do this, knowing different languages around the world is important so that you can hire the best team for the job. Similarly, it allows you to connect with an outsourced team to bring up and fix any issues that you may be having, therefore only providing the best service to your clients.
- It increases your value on the job market
The world today is more globalised than ever before. Communication, whether it’s for business or pleasure, is vital in today’s world, and knowing languages other than English opens the door to more opportunities.
Learning a second or third language allows you to become an invaluable asset for your company because you are able to communicate with people speaking different languages. This increases your marketability within your company, which can lead to promotions or better job opportunities. It also helps the company that you are working for to grow, which benefits both the company and yourself.
- It makes your brain healthy
Although it might seem like a stretch, learning other languages actually has mental health benefits! Although science is still unsure of why this happens, research shows evidence that learning another language can make people less likely to develop Alzheimer’s.
As well as this, learning a language helps keep your brain turned on, utilising your memory and keeping it actively learning, even after you’ve completed your school years.
- It makes it possible to experience anything!
Although this doesn’t have an impact on your career, being able to communicate with anyone in the world is worth learning a language just by itself. No matter where you are or what you’re doing, if another person speaks another language, you should learn it so that you can communicate with them.
The world is an extremely large place, and understanding what goes on outside of your country can help you shape the way that you view the world. Learning languages allows people to bridge gaps between cultures, creating a sense of global unity in our ever-shrinking planet!
To conclude, learning a second or third language can be extremely beneficial to your life, both in the short term and the long term. By expanding your knowledge of this world, you can create more opportunities for yourself in business and pleasure.
