How Learning Another Language Can Benefit You

Learning a language can be a great adventure. Of course, like every journey, it requires time and effort from your side, but you should know that you can get great benefits during the process. Read on to discover how learning a foreign language can improve your life!

It Makes Your Travels Easier and More Fulfilling

Knowing English is already a great skill while traveling, as it is a language used and known in many countries. The hospitality field is focused on English-speaking customers, so you might be able to get by in many places using just this language. However, English is not widely spoken in some areas and countries, and you might have trouble communicating with others.

Knowing Mandarin, French, Spanish, Arabic, or other languages can help you a lot while traveling to a particular destination. This makes your travels easier but also more fulfilling. When you know a language, you can better understand the culture and customs of a place. You are also more likely to hang out with locals and make some friends.

For instance, if you’re traveling in a Spanish-speaking country, knowing Spanish not only helps you communicate effectively but also allows you to immerse yourself more deeply into the local way of life. You might find yourself effortlessly navigating through conversations about food, festivities, and even simple things like discussing the days of the week in Spanish. Learning a language opens up avenues for richer experiences and connections wherever you go.

It Increases Your Value on the Job Market

It doesn’t matter if you know one of the most spoken languages in the world or some niche language – an additional language can significantly increase your chances of getting a better job.

When you add a second or third language to your CV, you move far ahead of other candidates. Being multilingual or at least speaking one foreign language on a business communicative level is very important in the global economy.

Knowing an additional language can be especially helpful in hospitality, health care, IT, customer services, and administrative work. Employers like candidates who speak more than one language not only because they can communicate with more people but also know different cultural backgrounds and can more easily find themselves in diverse communities.

Of course, knowing an additional language means you don’t have to limit yourself to the job market in your own country! You can go somewhere else and explore possibilities that are simply out of reach for your monolingual peers.

You Get Access to More Information and Entertainment

Knowing a foreign language can be especially beneficial for scientists and researchers. Imagine that you are working on a thesis about art in Egypt. When you know Arabic, you have access to more books and articles than any other of your colleagues.

The other perk is that you can enjoy your favorite music, films, series, and more in their original language. When you speak Spanish, you can understand Shakira’s songs. Watching “Lost in Translation” can become a whole new experience if you practice Japanese.

Of course, getting to a higher level of language proficiency takes time, so be patient along the way. Keep practicing! With time and work, you will notice one day that you understand what you read or listen to in a foreign language, and that is a great feeling!

Learning a Language Makes Your Brain Sharper

Practicing a language is like regular exercise for your brain. You can notice that you are more focused and concentrated and that you can easily connect thoughts. Many studies show that people who learn a language can enjoy better cognitive skills compared to those who have never learned a language. It is also possible that language learning can prevent or slow down the progress of Alzheimer’s disease.