1. Meet new people
One of the most phenomenal
benefits of learning a new language? Doors are
opened to you around the world. If you’re learning in a group setting, you immediately have new
friends to share your new language with. If not, then once you go
somewhere and are actually able to employ what you’ve learned, you’ll be
surprised how open people are when you speak their mother tongue.
2. Employers love it (and they’ll love you more)
If your C.V. accolades include fluency in a second language, your chances
of employment in today’s economy are much greater for you than for those who
speak only one language.
Multilingual people are
able to communicate and interact within multiple communities. Potential employers consider this a valuable asset in an
employee’s skill set, as they’re able to connect with a broader range of
people. In this new age of start-ups, companies are
increasingly breaking into new markets. You up your personal and
professional value if you’re able to negotiate with manufacturers in another
country or communicate with customers who don’t speak your native language.
Not to mention, your
ability to speak a second language conveys that you’re motivated and driven to
learn new skills, and this also gives you a competitive edge over those who
haven’t yet become bilingual.
3. It’s becoming essential
Many would argue that
bilingualism is becoming a progressively necessary and essential skill for
anyone who wants to keep up with today’s rapidly increasing global economy. As more and more people recognize the importance of learning an
additional language, those who only speak one language will begin to get left
behind in our shift towards a more integrated and connected global society.
4. It’s great for traveling
Austrian philosopher Ludwig
Wittgenstein is credited with saying that “the limits of your language are the
limits of your world,” and he was right.
Knowing more than one
language opens up your vacation destination possibilities. Traveling through a foreign country becomes much easier if you can
speak the language of that country. Fluency isn’t required. Locals anywhere appreciate that you’ve taken the time to at least attempt to learn and communicate in their tongue. It shows a greater level of
respect and is an easy way to meet new people.
Also, getting to a
comfortable speaking level in a foreign language is a great motivator to get
you out there and practicing your new language in a new country.
Not ready to rush off to a
foreign land just yet?
Not a problem. You can start exploring the everyday cultures of the countries
where your target language is spoken with FluentU right now. FluentU takes real-world
videos—like movie trailers, music videos and inspiring talks—and turns them
into personalized language lessons.
5. After learning one, it’s 1000x easier to learn another
As you begin to learn a
second language, you’ll find that the acquisition techniques you’re using can
be applied to learning additional languages as well.
The positive cognitive
effects of learning to speak a second language can train the brain to analyze
and process different linguistic structures. It’s not specific to your first target language — it’s a skill
that can be applied to learning any language.
You’re increasing your
ability to replicate the process with multiple languages. This is called “metalinguistic awareness,” where your brain learns
to identify the techniques of learning a language and break them down
into a series of steps. After learning one language,
you retain the muscle memory. Your brain will intrinsically
understand how to learn a language and how different languages are structured,
through increased awareness of syntax, grammar and sentence structure.
6. You become smarter
Acquiring a second language
improves your memory and increases your attention span. The process of becoming bilingual exercises your brain, challenges
you to concentrate and boosts your problem solving skills.
Bilingual students tend to
score higher on standardized tests than monolingual students, especially in the
areas of vocabulary, reading and math. As you learn to toggle from one
language to another, you improve your multitasking abilities. Bilingual individuals have also been shown to be more logical and
rational, have better decision-making skills and be more perceptive and aware
of their surroundings.
Learning a second language
also improves your native language, as it teaches you the mechanics and
structure behind any language — not just new languages.
7. You’ll stay smarter for longer
Recent research has shown
that bilingualism can stave off the effects of Alzheimer’s and dementia by years. Regardless of their education level, gender or occupation,
bilingual subjects in the linked study experienced the onset of Alzheimer’s, on
average, 4 1/2 years later than monolingual subjects did.
Study results out of the
American Academy of Neurology are showing that speaking more than one language
increases the amount of neural pathways in the brain, allowing information to
be processed through a greater variety of channels. They’ve also begun to demonstrate that multilingualism improves
development in the brain’s areas of executive function and attention, no matter
what age the language learner is.
8. It boosts your creativity
Researchers are also
concluding that multilingual speakers are more creative than
monolingual speakers. Learning a foreign language improves not only
your ability to solve problems and to think more logically, it also makes you
experiment with new words and phrases.
Leveling up your second
language skills forces you to reach for alternate words when you can’t quite
remember the original one you wanted to use. It improves your skills in divergent thinking, which is the
ability to identify multiple solutions to a single problem.
9. It builds up your self-confidence
You’re about to teach
yourself to believe, “yes, I can.”
It’ll become your new personal mantra.
Confidence increases when a
new skill is mastered, and learning a foreign language is no different. It increases your self-confidence. And let’s face it: confident people are more interesting than
those who are unsure of themselves. The techniques you use to
develop a second tongue result in a greater sense of open-mindedness.
In order to master a new
language, conversations with native and fluent speakers are essential. If you’re shy but want to meet new people, using the excuse that
you want to practice your speaking skills is a great opener and a doorway to
making new friends, expanding your horizons and broadening your life
experiences. Plus, who doesn’t want to be more interesting?
So, How Do I Get Started?
Fortunately, gone are the
days where the only way to learn a second language was to either become
stranded in a foreign country or go back to high school language classes
(and be honest, did you actually learn all that much in there?) There are now many different online lessons and tutorials to help
you become proficient in the language of your choice.
FluentU stands out
amongst language learning websites thanks to the huge range of interactive
learning opportunities it provides.
FluentU makes it possible to learn languages from
music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks. It’s all stuff
that native speakers actually watch.
With FluentU, you learn
real languages—the same way that natives speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos like movie trailers, funny
commercials and web series, as you can see here:
