Why Learn a New Language?

Why Learn a New Language

It is hard to meet someone who has never been exposed to foreign language lessons. Many primary and high schools offer foreign language classes to children as young as five. Some parents even higher private teachers for their toddlers. And those who have never had organized foreign language instruction has definitely heard another language being spoken.

 

Different languages are what make humanity so diverse and exciting. However, different languages are also responsible for preventing us from being able to effectively communicate with other people who don’t speak our language. Numerous opportunities are lost because people don’t speak the same language or don’t speak a language that is required to apply for a certain job or education institutions.

 

Even if you have no interest in developing yourself financially, you have surely been tempted to learn a new language before. Maybe it was just for the feeling of being able to speak a language that those around you can’t understand. Maybe it was to communicate to a foreign lover. Or perhaps you wanted to learn a new language just to be able to understand your favourite songs without needing a translation. We all have our own individual reasons for every language we learn. Here are some common reasons why people learn new languages and why you may want to consider learning a new language, should any of these reasons apply to your current life situation.

 

Traveling

Traveling is one of the main reasons why those capable of visiting new countries strive to learn a new language. This is especially vital if your native language isn’t English, which has become the world’s universal language. Even if you speak perfect English, don’t count on being able to get by in it everywhere you go. True, those working in the tourism sector are required to know English, but do you really only want to visit tourist attractions on your vacation to Argentina or Germany?

 

You will have a much more enriching experience if you’re able to at least say a thing or two in the local language. Besides, locals will see you in a better light for putting in the time and effort to give their language a chance. You will also have more opportunities to interact with locals and discover their culture if you can communicate with them in their native language.

 

Of course, there is also the economical aspect as well. Buying something while abroad is practically unavoidable, especially if you have tons of friends to whom you’ve promised exotic travel souvenirs. Overpaying for those souvenirs, on the other hand, is totally avoidable. It is probably common knowledge that most places that are popular for tourists have a ‘local price’ and a much higher ‘tourist price’. Even if you go somewhere where tourists usually don’t get to, vendors will quickly single you out as a tourist if you don’t speak a word of their language and will likely charge you a higher price. In order to avoid this, having at least a basic knowledge of the local language is enough. If you somewhat understand what’s going on, you’ll hear how much the seller is charging others for certain items and will know if they’re trying to overcharge you or if they’re offering a fair deal. You may also have the opportunity to have a simple conversation with the vendor or others during the process.

 

Interest in the Language

Students that are enrolled in foreign languages courses in high school by force often wonder how one can want to learn a language when their mark doesn’t depend on it. Well, having personal interest in a language is not unheard of at all. Everyone learning a language for this reason has their own specific reason, but the general aspect that motivates them to begin studying is the interest.

 

Some languages have an immense history that not only linguists are interested in. Other languages are simply too beautiful to not want to learn. Take Finnish, for example. It is considered as ‘the devil’s’ tongue by some and as a useless language by others, since it has a fairly small amount of speakers, most of whom are fluent in English. But listen to some Finnish music and you just might change your mind.

 

Other language enthusiasts decide to tackle another language because of something that is unique about it, such as certain expressions, noun cases, verb tenses or even the script.

 

Some people get interested in a language completely by accident. As English speakers we are lucky enough to have numerous movies, books, shows and music produced in our language. As for content that isn’t originally created in English, it is fairly common to find a translation somewhere on the internet. For this reason, it is not impossible that your new favorite movie, writer or even YouTuber speaks another language as their mother tongue. This may motivate you to learn that language in order to be able to enjoy more of their content. A number of foreign writers, YouTubers and those interested in sharing their content with others tend to do so in English in order to be able to reach a larger audience. Unfortunately, very few people in other countries are interested in some topics that are popular among English speakers.

 

It’s Good for the Brain

Did you know that knowing foreign languages can protect you from getting Alzheimer’s and other diseases that cause memory loss? Studies have shown that bilingualism slows down the development of dementia as we age. How cool is that? All you need to do is to have some fun learning a new language and your brain will thank you for it when you get old.

 

In addition, you don’t have to wait until retirement to enjoy the benefits of bilingualism or multilingualism. According to other studies that have been conducted, bilinguals have it easier when it comes to problem-solving, decision-making and multitasking. It will also make you more creative. Have you ever thought that a new language may be capable of helping you in math class and in quickly deciding what to wear to that first date?

The benefits don’t stop there, of course. Should you decide to learn a third or even a fourth language after becoming bilingual, it will be much easier than learning your first foreign language. You will already be familiar with the language learning process and depending on the next language you choose, you may have a much easier time mastering the grammar and vocabulary.

 

For Work

It probably isn’t a secret that bilinguals are more in demand in the job market. This is especially the case if you live in an area with a high number of immigrants who don’t speak the local language. If you know another language, you will also have better chances when applying for a job at a company that works with foreign clients.

 

In addition to higher chances of getting hired, bilinguals get to enjoy higher salaries than their monolingual colleagues. Those that speak several languages can earn anywhere from 2% to 20% more than those that only speak one language. While two percent may not seem like much, it certainly will add up over the years, especially if you invest that amount.

 

Ever thought of working abroad? Depending on where you’re from, standard salaries in other countries may be substantially higher and if you know the language spoken in that country, you will greatly set yourself apart from other candidates that are just as qualified as you in other areas. Working abroad will not only fill your bank account, but will allow you to experience another culture and practice your language skills while you’re at it.

 

Foreign Partner/Friend/Relative

A lot of us, especially those of us living in the ‘New World’, are not originally from where we currently reside. And those of us who were born in our current country or city of residence likely have relatives who came from elsewhere. Some of us still have relatives living elsewhere and maybe even childhood friends. A number of people spent a few years of their childhood in one country and then moved somewhere else with their families. Since they didn’t always have the opportunity or the desire to speak their first language, the language got easily forgotten. In the 21st century more and more younger generations are immigrating to other countries and leaving their older relatives behind in their home country. For this reason, it is not uncommon for children to be unable to communicate with their grandparents or other relatives because of a language gap. What should you do if you find yourself in such a situation? Of course, modern technology will make it possible to communicate with someone without sharing a common language, but that will never be the same as an actual face-to-face conversation.

 

Some people may even find their one true love while vacationing in some tropical country. It could be true that words aren’t necessary to communicate when to people really are meant for each other, but speaking surely would help when expressing one’s needs and desires. And even if you have no problems communicating with your partner through sign language, how would you both communicate with each other’s friends and family members? Also, there is nothing like being able to speak to someone in your own language and be understood. So, if both of you have a language in common, consider dedicating the time and effort to learn each other’s first language, so each partner has the opportunity to express themselves in their tongue and be understood.

 

To Understand One’s Roots

While some people with foreign backgrounds have friends and relatives that connect them with that distant land, others do not. All some people know is that their great-great someone lived their life in a far off country and then their descendents immigrated elsewhere. When people decide to learn about their family history, they don’t always stop at the family tree. Some try to learn as much as they can about each relative’s background and that includes learning new languages as well. It is possible that while searching up your family history you’ll also find different documents, some of which may be in your ancestors’ mother tongues, languages that are completely foreign to you. In order to fully be able to understand your history and who you really are, it is often necessary to study another language or two.

 

It is also possible that in your search for your roots you will discover that you are interested in a country that was once home to your distant relatives. You may even decide to move there and raise your children in that distant land. If you decide to do that, you will definitely need to learn another language, and not just to a level where you’re able to get by in it.

To Develop Oneself

You already know that learning a language will make you smarter, but there is definitely much more to it than just that. Learning another language will make you more confident. You will have to get over making tons of mistakes, mispronouncing words, sometimes in ways that makes them offensive. Even if you are very shy and avoid speaking to people even in your native language, taking the first step and saying something in a foreign tongue to a stranger will greatly boost your confidence. It will become easier and easier for you to get a foreign phrase out of your mouth. And you may even find that you’re more willing to speak with strangers in your native tongue as well!

 

In addition to the confidence, by mastering another language you will prove to yourself that you have what it takes. Since language learning takes time, upon learning one to a level that satisfies you, you will realize that you have the patience and determination required when you need it. This may even make you more patient when faced with other situations or when learning other things. Studies have been done that show that those who speak several languages have longer attention spans, which makes them better learners. This could be related to the fact that it takes time and effort to master a foreign language.

 

Everything is Better in the Original Language

We’ve all definitely this before and some of us might have even said it, perhaps after watching a horribly translated foreign movie. While translations manage to get general meanings across, what we hear or read when watching or reading something in translation is not the same thing that those watching or reading the original version are exposed to. Not all words, phrases and humor can be effectively translated to English. Some languages have words that have no exact equivalent in other languages. This means that we’ll never be able to truly understand some of those words unless we actually learn that language. Humor is a tough one as well and jokes nearly always lose their meaning unless there is an equivalent joke in the language you’re translating to. The same goes for idioms. These can never be translated literally or the meaning gets lost. Some have variations in various languages, but translators aren’t always aware of that.

 

If you want to be able to appreciate foreign masterpieces like the natives do, then you’ll need to consider learning the language in which they were written. However, it is impossible to read everything in the original language, so choose some works you especially enjoy and dedicate yourself to mastering that one language.

To Learn Other Languages

Many languages are related and some are more similar to each other than others. Depending on the first language you learn, learning your next language may feel more like learning a dialect of your first foreign language. For example, if you choose to learn Portuguese, you will later realize that you can somewhat understand Spanish without ever having studied it. Then, if you decide that you do want to dedicate some time to learning Spanish, mastering the language will be much easier and not as time consuming as mastering Portuguese was.

 

Even if a language you learned isn’t that similar to another language you’re planning to learn, there will be aspects that will definitely simplify the learning process. For example, learning a language with genders will make it easier to learn another language where inanimate and abstract objects get referred to as ‘she’ or ‘he’. The same goes for grammar. English doesn’t have cases, but Russian and Czech do, so learning one of these will better prepare you to learn another one.

 

Of course, it all depends on what languages you decide to learn. If you learn Portuguese and then Japanese, you may find that the only similarities these languages have are the loan words. However, you will already know what strategies and study patterns work for you when learning languages and you will be able to apply these to your future language studies.

 

Final Word

 

I hope that after reading this you have decided to dedicate some time and effort to learning a foreign language. The benefits you will get from knowing a second or a third language will definitely outweigh your efforts and struggles while mastering the language. Learning a new language may even make you fall in love with the process itself and in no time at all, you’ll be on your way to becoming a mega-polyglot, who knows!

 

As for those of you who already have plans to reach fluency in another tongue, now you know which ways your new skill will benefit you in and what doors it’ll open for you. You may even decide to learn another language after for one of the reasons mentioned above.

 

Whatever your reason for setting out on your language learning quest, I would like to wish you the best of luck and success with whichever language you choose.

 

Until next time!