Have you always wanted to try a new language?
For some reason, you may have a hard time pursuing it because life’s getting in the way.
Busy work schedules, important matters to attend, depleted energy at the end of the day, you name it.
Does it make sense to give language learning the attention it deserves?
Turns out, there may be worthwhile reasons why you should do it today.
Take a closer look by reading further.
1. Language Learning Strengthens Your Brain
To keep your brain as sharp as it could be, it needs regular exercise. Language learning is one of the best mental exercises you can undertake since it requires you to constantly learn new concepts and think heavily.
A. Benefits to the Brain
The benefits of language learning on the brain are plentiful. According to an article from PMC, you develop better memory, visual-spatial skills, creativity, as well as an improved ability to process information in your environment. You also get better at multi-tasking and handling conflicts compared to someone who only has one language.
In fact, the same article mentions that more than half of the population in the world are bilingual, which makes it safe to say that they enjoy these added benefits ever since childhood.
However, it is also enjoyed by people who become bilinguals later in their life. In short, it’s never too late to learn a second language (in case you only have one).
B. Benefits to Children
Speaking of childhood, if you’re still young or you have children, then now is the perfect time to study languages. Even if she’s still a baby, it shouldn’t be an excuse because according to a study, babies could develop their linguistic and cognitive abilities as early as 11 months old. They become better at problem solving and frequent multitasking and are more open to learning novel languages unlike their monolingual counterparts.
Not only that, a baby is capable of learning several languages at a time. That’s why you’ll sometimes hear stories of a child who could speak four languages and think that she is gifted, When in reality, the child might have only received exposure to four languages in the house.
C. Benefits at School
These same benefits prove beneficial when you’re attending school, according to numerous studies. One could possibly perform better at standardized tests, and when you’ve already learned a language as early as high school, it might lead to a better standing when you go to college.
The linguistic benefits are so rewarding that it doesn’t matter if you’re monolingual in English or someone who’s studying English as a second language. You get the benefit of improving your reading skills, judging grammar, recognizing words, and possibly even getting higher scores in the SAT and ACT exams.
D. Benefits in Music
For the musically inclined or those who want to pursue music, it has been found that if you learn “tonal languages” such as Mandarin, Thai, and Vietnamese, you could positively influence your musical pitch perception and gain an upper hand at music.
Pitch simply refers to the different tones you hear in music, such as C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. It turns out if you’re knowledgeable with tonal languages, you’ll have improved ability to distinguish notes as you hear them. It’s as if you’re getting a powerful ear training when you pursue both music and a tonal language at the same time!
Bottomline is, you’re getting a boost in brainpower if you dedicate to learning new languages, and the benefits pretty much spill over in many areas of your life.
2. It Can Also Boost Your Confidence
On top of the cognitive benefits of language learning, your curiosity with foreign languages can also increase your confidence in many ways.
Consider that the simple accumulation of knowledge is already a fulfilling experience in itself. Learning new Spanish words is not that different from learning daily trivia such as the largest mountain on Mars or the age of planet Earth. New knowledge is knowledge, and it sticks with you forever.
Not only that, you can impress your friends and family with your knowledge. After all, who wouldn’t feel more confident if they get compliments because of their acquired fluency?
If that’s not enough, take traveling. Obviously, you don’t need language fluency in order to go on a vacation in a country. Even so, we can all agree that being familiar with the language helps us absorb and relish more experiences from the trip, right? Not to mention the mistakes and inconveniences you could avoid in order to survive the trip.
And how about making foreign friends? You can build meaningful relationships when you have the ability to hold even just simple conversations with natives. Who knows, you might even find romance with someone from a different nationality.
Travels and native speakers aside, how about being able to navigate the Internet more openly in a foreign language? Even if you have no plans to travel or meet foreigners, you would surely benefit if you can crack those foreign books you’ve been longing to read. Or even better, how about watching dramas and movies without subtitles?
The best part I think, is on a longer horizon, when you look back to see how much progress you’ve made, you realize that sentences and dialogues which seemed alien at first have finally revealed their true meaning. All because of the sheer effort and consistency you’ve put into learning the language.
You can then project forward into the future to see how you can get even better and have increased awareness and enlightenment of the language.
3. Being Fluent In Another Language Gives You Better Career Opportunities
Carving time out to learn a foreign language can open up opportunities in your career in different ways.
For instance, the cognitive benefits of language learning alone could help improve your employability skills (also called soft skills), which are generally transferrable to almost any job.
An article from Indeed mentions 10 common employability skills that employers look for, and I believe at least 3 of these skills can be improved by pursuing a foreign language: the ability to communicate, the ability to solve problems, and the ability to learn quickly.
There’s also the benefit of working for foreign companies in your specific industry if you’re fluent in their required language. You could be an engineer fluent in Japanese, a nurse fluent in French, or an accountant fluent in Thai. If you’ve dreamed of working in an international company, then that could serve as motivation to start learning a language.
But how do you know which language to learn? The National Security Education Program in the U.S. (or NSEP) has listed over 60 Critical Languages that you can choose from, which can give you better opportunities in your career, such as Mandarin, Arabic, and Russian.
Now, this all might seem look good, but are there really tangible benefits to learning a language? A survey done on Rosetta Stone users who are responsible for hiring and managing people indicated that 35% of them did one or more of these actions to employees who are proficient in a foreign language:
- Extended a job offer
- Granted a job interview
- Recommended a promotion
- Recommended a pay raise
If you’re running a business, acquiring language skills can potentially reward you with great opportunities, especially the ability to expand in international markets. To achieve this goal, it’s either you hire a translator that would bridge you to your target market, or you could train your employees (or even yourself) in your desired language.
4. Knowing Multiple Languages Unlocks Your Perspective of the World
If you happen to come across culture in your everyday life, such as when you communicate with foreigners, consume international news, watch foreign movies or dramas, walk past a foreign neighborhood, or love eating food from abroad, that might be a sign to dig deep into that country’s language.
The opposite is true as well. Even if you just happen to dabble in a foreign language – learning words here and there or memorizing the alphabet – at some point you’ll inevitably learn about the culture of your target language.
In short, language and culture are connected.
And besides, if you’re already surrounded by opportunities for practicing a lifestyle that’s influenced by foreign culture, why not take things up a notch and learn the language?
It doesn’t even matter if you’re not into cultural stuff or something like that. You can pursue a whole new language even if you’re a blank slate, and before you know it you’re already immersing in the culture because understanding the language naturally guides you towards it.
The more you immerse into culture, the more you unlock new perspectives of the world which you wouldn’t otherwise discover. You’ll understand the cultural differences and issues currently happening in the world, as well as how they’re linked to the past.
5. Language Learning Makes Your Travels More Meaningful
Traveling doesn’t require you to become fluent in your destination’s language.
But think of it – you’re investing the time, money, energy, and commitment to traveling anyway, so why not make the most out of it?
Travel exposes you to culture, and if language and culture are linked together, then you can’t deny that language is important for helping you bring home memorable experiences in many interesting ways:
1) Converse with the locals – There’s a lot of insider stuff which articles on Google nor videos on YouTube are unable to provide. From a native’s point of view, they know firsthand the best coffee shops you should visit, hidden spots to check out, or even taboos to be aware of.
2) Consume travel content in the destination’s language – In researching your itinerary, there’s usually more interesting content about your destination in their language. Similar to how you can talk to natives about recommended spots, you can browse the Web for native content such as blogs, vlogs, and podcasts in their home language.
3) Go beyond just surviving the travel – Besides learning the essentials of a destination’s language – such as reading traffic signs, asking questions, checking timetables, listening to announcements, or ordering latte – going the extra mile in language learning allows you to do the fun stuff, such as reading labels of products, attending events or festivals, understanding foreign jokes, and even overhearing other people’s conversations (if that’s your thing).
4) Build lasting relationships – If conversing with locals is not enough, how about befriending them and their friends? That would surely motivate you to come back to the country for more.
Surely, there are other meaningful benefits of knowing your destination’s language .
So while your vacation schedule is still approaching, how about picking a language app or book and begin studying right now?
6. You Build Interesting Relationships with Natives and Foreigners
Language is communication. Therefore, knowing a foreign language allows you to converse with more people than before.
They say if you want to make 1 billion friends, then you should learn Mandarin. Well, even if you don’t literally make a billion more buddies, the opportunities for more colorful friendships increase as you become more knowledgeable with foreign languages, regardless of what language it may be.
And It’s not just natives whom you can talk with. Even in your own country you can find:
- Tourists visiting your country
- Event goers such as in conventions or festivals
- International students in your school
- Foreign colleagues at work or in the same organization
- Residents who live in the same building or village
- International communities and groups
- Or even language learners who speak the same foreign language as you
Who says you need a plane ticket to make foreign friends? The Internet itself is a gateway to reaching billions of people from all around the world.
Apps such as HelloTalk, Tandem, or other less known apps or websites can provide you access to these people for free. While it costs money to get more features, it’s way cheaper than flying over to another country.
Once you form great relationships with foreigners, nothing’s stopping you from taking it to the next level. You could even pursue dating or romance if you come across someone attractive. Or you can make travel buddies and travel together in many parts of the world. Who knows, they might also want to learn languages with you!
7. You Plan to Move and Live Abroad
If in the near (or distant) future you want to live in another country, learning the language of that place prepares you (and your family) for the new life ahead.
Besides, most countries require you to demonstrate a certain level of fluency in their official languages, whether it be US, Canada, Thailand, France, or India.
While the difficulty of the required knowledge varies per country, you’re well on your way to earning yourself a citizenship by beginning to explore foreign languages right now (unless you’re transferring to a country of the same language).
Even if you’re not immigrating to another place, a foreign language can also help you study in a university abroad by becoming a foreign exchange student. Or you’ll have better chances to get employed overseas by demonstrating language fluency to your employers.
Also, if you’re engaged with your romantic foreign partner and will soon be married, you might as well learn the language of your spouse, which can be helpful in case you spend the holidays with your in-laws.
8. You Have a Highly Specific Goal In a Particular Language
The general measure of being able to speak a language is when you’re able to express freely in any topic. This suggests becoming an all-rounder and studying as much vocabulary and grammar as possible in your target language.
But what if I tell you that it’s okay to only learn specific areas of any language?
Everyone is unique: what motivates one person might not motivate another. Even if I share with you a hundred reasons why you should study today, if they don’t click with your interests you wouldn’t move forward with the study.
Fortunately, there’s good news, my linguistically curious friend. You can customize your goals to only focus on what you find interesting in a particular language. You’re busy enough with a lot of stuff in your life, why make language learning feel like a chore?
With that said, the best way to figure out your goal is to contemplate on which specific areas of foreign culture trigger your “curiosity”. The more specific you get, the better.
Can’t come up with any? Here are some ideas to stir up your creative juices:
Idea #1: Consume Materials In a Foreign Language
If you’ve always dreamed of watching TV shows or movies without subtitles, reading books or novels of your favorite international authors, or completely embracing the feeling of foreign music and songs, aiming to master the material’s language is one sure source of motivation.
Idea #2: Build a Career Out of Languages
Geeking out on languages? That could unlock a potential career to earn you a living and possibly leave your past career behind. For instance, you can work as a translator or interpreter for a company. Or if you’re venturing alone, you can become a blogger or vlogger who teaches about languages or shares content in a foreign language.
Idea #3: Follow Your Passion of Foreign Cultures
In case you’re a passionate fan of K-pop groups, a follower of Bollywood celebrities, a collector of martial arts movies, or simply a burrito lover, your passion could easily put you on the path to learning your target culture’s language.
Idea #4: Learn a Language to Interpret Religious Texts
Depending on your religion, you can better deepen your faith by learning the languages of religious texts, some of which include: Sanskrit, Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.
Idea #5: Create Secret Information By Writing It In a Foreign Language
How cool would it be if you can hide messages from your family and friends with the aid of foreign languages? How about a password containing Chinese characters? It would take a hundred lifetimes for anyone to crack such a code!
Idea #6: Use Language Learning As Pastime When You’re Bored
When you’re in a downtime, such as when you’re locked down because of the pandemic, or when you’re doing chores, you can turn that idle time into productive time by studying a language. You can insert a few dozen flashcards in between the heating of microwave food or boiling of water. Or speak some phrases to express what you’re feeling at the moment.
9. Learning a New Language Makes Becoming a Polyglot Easier
A polyglot refers to a person who knows multiple languages.
While most people typically recognize a polyglot by the number of languages he or she could speak, I’d like to simplify the polyglot definition by referring to all individuals who speak more than one language, which is what the prefix poly is all about.
Obviously, some countries have the upper hand because people there can speak two or more languages. They’ve probably learned them in their environment since childhood.
We’re not going to talk about these cases because in reality, it only takes ONE extra language to become a polyglot – one which could help you prepare for learning several more languages.
In other words, being a bilingual carries an advantage in learning new languages and just makes your acquisition easier over time.
And here’s why:
Reason #1: The Learning Techniques That Make You Successful Apply to Any Language
While there may be countless languages worldwide, once you understand the fundamentals of learning your next language, you can carry those over to your future target languages and simplify the process.
You may be unsure about which apps or experts you should follow, but eventually you’ll grow wiser once you start your language learning journey today.
Yes, the whole package will be daunting when you first begin studying. You realize you need to memorize thousands of words, hundreds of grammar rules, and rely on translators and dictionaries a lot. And depending on what you’ll learn, you might come across an entire alphabet system or get introduced to new features such as tones, pitches, and a new paradigm on grammar.
The good news is, these same concepts apply to every language out there. After wrestling with this initial struggle, you get the benefit of transferring this “metaknowledge” to other languages, including your native language.
That’s why after learning a decent amount of Korean, sometimes I tend to mix my knowledge with English and Tagalog (my native languages), discovering similar sounding words or even combining them into one sentence.
Reason #2: Exploring Languages Already Makes You a Polyglot
Who says you need a B1 or B2 to be called a polyglot? You shouldn’t feel guilty for opening up 10 language courses in Duolingo thinking you’re spreading yourself too thin.
No two languages you have are on equal levels. It just doesn’t work that way. You can dabble in Spanish or Hindi, but become exceptional in Italian, and that’s totally fine.
Whenever you discover a new word, phrase, grammar rule, or an entire alphabet system, it stays with you forever. And even if you know a little in several languages, the fact that they’re in your brain enables you to do many things, like mixing them up or doubling down on one language when inspiration comes.
Rest assured, the moment you’re learning new languages, you’re already a polyglot. Dedicating more time to studying it just confirms and strengthens that identity.
Even popular language gurus like Benny Lewis and Steve Kaufmann dabble in several languages while being fluent in several others.
Think of every language you acquire like a building, with your native languages being tall skyscrapers or high-rise buildings, and your intermediate or beginner languages being low-rise buildings or houses. Overall, the totality of your language infrastructure creates a beautiful map of your unique linguistic mind.
Reason #3: You Can Get Involved in a Community of Polyglots
One powerful way to sustain your motivation is by learning alongside a community of like-minded language learners, which is what polyglot communities are about.
You can start by exploring the most popular apps, such as HelloTalk and Tandem to find people whom you can talk with.
You can also pursue forum-like communities such as Reddit, as well as join learning apps with forums such as italki and LingQ.
One particular community I discovered recently is Refold, which provides free training with emphasis on immersion. They have a Discord community which you can join into, which is neatly organized into various language chatrooms.
Social media is also a great place to locate polyglot communities. In Facebook alone there are dedicated Groups for polyglots which one could join with low barriers to entry.
Though language learning may be hard, doing it alongside others makes the process a bit easier and would further confirm your identity as a polyglot.
10. Language Learning CAN Save Your Life
If I shared with you one effective way to extend your life, would you pay attention?
Believe it or not, learning languages can help prolong your life by helping delay the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease by more than 4 years, according to a study.
As a rule of thumb, anything that allows you to engage in physical, mental, and social activities is beneficial to your health. By embracing a linguistic lifestyle, you get to fulfill a lot of things.
First off, the mental effort of studying the language and dealing with often challenging tasks (such as memorizing vocabulary and applying grammar) is a great exercise for your brain.
Also, the act of studying consumes energy, such as when you’re writing notes or forming new sentences. Not to mention you’ll be opening your mouth more often as you practice speaking the target language.
Then of course, as a result of familiarizing the language, you get more opportunities to communicate with foreigners and natives, which enriches your social life and adds diversity to it.
So if you think you’re busy, you probably wouldn’t mind adding extra years to your life, right?
11. You’re Looking For a Lifelong Hobby That’s Fun to Do
Even if you don’t have a specific goal in mind nor plans to travel to another country, simply learning a new language can be a fun experience.
You don’t even need to use the best learning methods nor challenge yourself to accomplish a goal in a few months. If you think you’ve used slow or inefficient methods before, the reality is that you can always correct yourself. No need to feel guilty about it.
Language learning is one example of a hobby just like gardening, painting, or playing the piano. And with any hobby, you can do it at your own pace. If you find it interesting, then keep doing it. If not, then stop and move on to another hobby.
Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of this. There’s power in simply having fun with a hobby unlike when you’re too focused on achieving goals. Even Mark Zuckerberg himself did hobbies and said that it’s one of the most important things young professionals can do.
You may have no definite purpose to learn a foreign language at this moment, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a shot. Sooner or later, many opportunities could pop up that are associated with your target language. But you have to begin early for them to manifest into your life.
Ready to Start a New Language?
Mastering a language to fluency takes time, there’s no escape from it.
Even if you haven’t made a sure decision, it pays off to begin accumulating in the language of your choice even if it’s just casual learning for 5 minutes.
Whatever you put in grows in time to eventually give purpose. It’s like compound interest where the results start to become significant in the long run.
If any of the reasons above triggered a spark from within, maybe it’s a sign…
A sign that you should begin your language learning journey.
The important question is: “Are you ready?”
What’s your burning reason right now for learning a foreign language? Let me know by leaving a comment below.
