From Ukraine to Gaza
Perhaps the most obvious reason to learn a second language is that it will enable you to communicate with a wider group of people.
If you speak a major global language, it's likely that the person you’re speaking to will know a bit of your language. However, this is no excuse not to try learning theirs.
Speaking in someone else’s mother tongue is a great way to show you’re making the effort to build a relationship with that person.
The ability to speak a second language is a skill that is highly valued by employers.
In fact, language skills are among the top eight skills required of all occupations.
So, no matter what field you’re in, gaining fluency in a second language will mean you have a competitive advantage in the job market.
Learning a second language has many cognitive benefits as well, including improved memory, enhanced concentration, and better listening skills.
Being bilingual has also been linked with higher levels of creativity.
And if that’s not enough to convince you, learning a foreign language has been shown to help prevent age-related cognitive decline.
Many of us don’t study the structures and patterns that underlie our mother tongue, and so learning the grammar of a second language can help us to better understand our own.
This will improve your command of your mother tongue and make you more eloquent.
Learning a second language can also increase your vocabulary in your first language.
Learning a foreign language will invariably expose you to the culture(s) in which that language is used.
This will broaden your mind and help you to understand and empathize with a greater number of people and their experiences.
Studies have shown that children who have studied a second language express more positive attitudes towards the culture to which that language belongs.
Learning about another culture will naturally push you to draw comparisons with your own.
This may well help you to see your native culture in a different light and make observations you’ve never made before.
It is, of course, possible to travel to many countries in the world without having knowledge of the language, but being able to speak it will vastly enhance your experience.
You will be able to converse with locals and you will likely have a more positive reception.
If you’re interested in studying or working abroad, learning a second language may also open up doors for you.
Although a more obscure benefit and perhaps one reserved to the avid readers among us, it should be noted that speaking a second language increases the number of texts you’re able to read in the original language.
Much of the literature we read today has been translated, and some meaning is invariably lost during the process.
Learn the language of the original text and you’ll be able to read it exactly as it was written.
Research has shown that if you learn a second language, it will be easier to learn a third.
This is because the brain has already established the networks necessary to absorb a new language.
So if you’re aiming for fluency in multiple languages, you can rest assured that with each new language you learn, the process will get easier.
When it comes to learning a new language there is no use spending hours poring over textbooks. You need to get out there and speak.
Of course, there is a time and a place for studying those tricky grammatical structures, but really improving in a language requires you to take the plunge and converse with others.
Putting yourself out there requires confidence, and once you see where that confidence takes you, you may well be inspired to act with more confidence in other areas of your life.
See also: Hacks to speaking a foreign language like a native.
Aside from being able to order a beer when on holiday, there are many benefits to speaking a second language. Becoming bilingual can improve your social life, enhance your career prospects, and even make you more intelligent.
With the huge number of language learning apps available nowadays, learning a second language has never been easier. However, if you're still in need of a bit of motivation, check out this gallery to see the ways in which speaking a foreign language can improve your life.
10 reasons to learn a second language
It's much more beneficial than you might think!
LIFESTYLE Education
Aside from being able to order a beer when on holiday, there are many benefits to speaking a second language. Becoming bilingual can improve your social life, enhance your career prospects, and even make you more intelligent.
With the huge number of language learning apps available nowadays, learning a second language has never been easier. However, if you're still in need of a bit of motivation, check out this gallery to see the ways in which speaking a foreign language can improve your life.