The Benefits of Learning a New Language

 The world has never been more connected than we are now. Skills and experience are not the only thing educators and employers are looking at when scouting for new employees or students.

 Communication has always been the backbone of how we as people connect and operate, and learning a new language can be the thing that sets you apart from the rest.

 Here are only a few of the benefits learning another language can offer you:

 

1)    Boosting your memory and brain power

 Learning a new language means learning about a whole new system of words, rules and structures. Taking the time to learn a new language can help our brains to improve upon its learning and communication skills, benefiting both your personal and professional life. Learning and communicating in a new language can boost our memory and brain power by helping us to stay alert, learning how to think fast in order to communicate back and teaches us how to think and communicate in a completely new and exciting way.

 

2)    Enhancing the ability to multitask

 Multilingual people will one day have the challenge to communicate not only in one language, but possibly two or more! Knowing multiple languages and being able to communicate with them will help one to learn how to multitask and become better in their problem solving skills. People who learn how to multitask with their languages and use those specific cognitive skills will be able to multitask in more than one situation, making them more efficient at their jobs and work with little stress.

 

3)    Learning a new language can improve communication in your native tongue

 Learning a new language and taking the time to start from scratch will make you more aware of the different aspects of any language e.g. vocabulary, grammar, idioms etc. Having to go through those steps again will help you to become aware of making the same decisions when speaking in your mother tongue. This will show you, you can always teach an old dog new tricks.

  

4)    Learning a new language can teach you culture appreciation

 No two languages are the same. A language can be a gateway to learning so much more about how a country operates in terms of their culture and people. Languages can introduce you to old tales, witty idioms and modern slang that teaches you more than just how to communicate. Bridging the gap between cultures by learning more languages can make people more understandable, sympathetic and respectful towards each other 

 

5)    Learning a new language can make traveling a lot easier

 Sitting at a foreign restaurant, but don’t know how to ask the waiter for your bill? Taking the time to learn about a new language can make travelling to different countries much more enjoyable. Having the capacity to speak to foreigners in their own language will make your trip much easier and you will feel more involved with the people and their cultures.

 

6)    Learning a new language will present more job opportunities

 Learning a new language will not only benefit your personal life, but also your professional career. Many businesses around the world, especially now with COVID, are offering job seekers the opportunity to work with them on a remote basis. Learning a new language can open many doors in terms of job opportunities and will allow job seekers to expand their skills and experience by learning how businesses function on a world-wide scale.

 

It's never too late to learn a second, third or even fourth language! There are endless ways to learn any new language. Self-study, language schools or even qualified tutors will help guide you on the right track to learn a new skill that will benefit your life immensely, in more ways than one.

Author: Izana Coetzee