When I was a little girl, I remember being in a McDonald's playground and listening to some other little girls talking. I remember being so frustrated when I couldn't understand what they were saying, I thought something was wrong with me. I went up to my mom and explained the strange phenomenon to her. She smiled as she told me the girls were speaking another language; Spanish. She told me that there are other languages than just English out there, other ways of communicating. In junior high, I sat down to register for my classes and immediately circled Spanish One. Circling Spanish One, and continuing with that all throughout high school and into college where I am an International Business and Spanish double major, was one of the absolute best decisions I have ever made in my entire life, and here's why:
1. You Have The Ability To Communicate With More People.
This one may seem obvious, but it is really so true. Going to another country, or even just walking into a store in your local town and being able to communicate with others around you in their language is absolutely incredible. When I went to Russia (I don't speak Russian) there was just a lot of smiling and communicating through simple phrases, so the friendships I made, though incredible, took longer to form because of the language barrier. On the contrary, when I went to Colombia, I was able to communicate with everyone there in Spanish instead of relying on others to speak English. This proved incredibly useful when my baggage was lost, and I had to speak with the help desk in the airport. Moreover, the relationships I formed in Colombia were absolutely incredible and I will cherish them forever. Even if you aren't planning on getting out of the US, there are lots of people here whose first language is not English, so stepping out of your comfort zone to learn someone else's language is a really incredible thing to do.
2. It Challenges Your Brain.
Seriously, your brain can do things that you never would have dreamed it'd be able to do. I dream in both English and Spanish now, and sometimes have to translate in my head from Spanish to English when my mind is functioning in Spanish. I definitely still have room for improvement in Spanish, and I am looking forward to continuing to study this incredible language. When I look back to when I was so excited to be able to say, "I like to dance," in Spanish to where I am now, I am proud of the work I have put into learning this language. You can, too! You can learn another language, dream in another language, and think in another language! So do it!
Obviously there are a lot more reasons you should learn another language. But just think - there are millions of people out there you can't talk to right not, so might as well get to learning because those people out there you can't communicate with on your own right now are pretty incredible! Learning a language is tough, but oh so worth it!
