Did you know that two-thirds of working age Europeans know a foreign language? In fact, many European and Asian business men and women know several foreign languages at least at the extent of being able to speak them conversationally. Latin American private schools, and some public schools, begin teaching students English from primary school onward.
But, in America, we speak English.
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Disregarding the fact that there is no established official language of the United States and also the fact that the original residents spoke around 250 languages before the arrival of the Europeans, learning another language just isn't very sought after past whatever foreign language classes students are forced to take in high school (or college, if they even get that far). Why is that? There are a number of reasons why being bilingual, or even multilingual, brings nothing but advantages to the lives of those who are. Instead of letting a skewed idea of nationalism or xenophobia prevent American citizens from realizing higher potentials, we should note the tangible positive effects that come with learning a foreign language.
1. Learning a language before a certain age is as easy as learning your first language!
Experts say there is a certain time period (somewhere between as low as 3-4 years old, or perhaps as high as puberty) of development that is the most conducive for learning foreign languages, so don't delay! However, don't be discouraged. People are able to learn another language at any point in their lives if they commit time and patience to it.
2. It creates neuronal pathways that non-foreign language speakers aren't able to connect.
You have thousands of different neurons in your body that all associate with different parts of the central or peripheral nervous systems that you use daily to complete any task from tying your shoe, to talking to your friend, to finishing your algebra homework. Studies show that maintaining at least two different spoken languages increases the grey matter in certain areas of the brain, increasing properties such as short-term memory and attention span.
3. You are able to learn more about the English language by association.
By understanding the structure of different languages and how they relate to the smorgasbord that is the English language, you are able to make connections between a more complex understanding of syntax and word usage, otherwise. English has cognate (words that sound and mean the same) words for many different languages due to the fact it is a derived language in and of itself.
4. You can communicate with a variety of people, including improving experiences when you travel.
Wouldn't it be cool to talk to the ladies who do your nails in Vietnamese? To order your Mexican food in Spanish? You can, if you so choose to. Plus, when you travel you are able to fully enjoy the experience more by feeling less lost and communicate with the locals during your stay with ease.
5. It makes you more marketable as an employee.
If you are going against a similarly qualified candidate for a position, but you speak a foreign language, you are more likely to be chosen for that job. Many jobs, particularly those in health care, government, law enforcement, and business involve a lot of communication with individuals who may not speak English either particularly well or at all. If you are able to pull off a business deal in China due to your knowledge of Mandarin Chinese, companies will be fighting to have you on their team.
6. You can become more culturally aware.
There is often a lot of fear of the unknown. By understanding culture and tradition that may have originally seemed outlandish or just plain weird, you are able to gain a completely new appreciation for those people and the things that are important to them. You can find out all about the food and ingredients that you always like to pick up from International Foods, but never really knew the meaning of. Plus, you are able to pick up some popular culture from other countries for yourself like below...
7. You get cool new music to listen to that doesn't just sound like a bunch of gibberish (books, too)!
Not only has your horizon widened in other ways, you are able to find out more about the arts in different languages. Most classical music is in either French, Latin, German, or Italian. There are lots of good books that an understanding of a foreign language would improve comprehension (Lolita by Vladimir Nobokov has a lot of French, and its an American classic!). Music in different languages can be pretty cool like Yelle (French), Camila (Spanish), Die Antwoord (Afrikaans), etc. The possibilities are truly endless.
8. You can teach others (maybe even your future children, which is pretty dang cool).
I don't know about you, but I love the idea of one day teaching my offspring the languages that I know. It is what it is, I guess.
9. You can help others through translation services, etc.
Helping people!! That's all to really be said, right? There are plenty of chances to help through your local hospital, sheriff's office, school, etc. Also, when people move to the States, or travel, it can be frustrating to them when they can't communicate. You have the opportunity to help them out and make them feel welcome. How cool is that?
10. You can set and achieve goals for yourself!
Probably the main point of this list. If you're going to do anything in this life, do it for yourself. At the end of the day, you are the one you have to be able to fall asleep with. If you feel unfulfilled, maybe learning another language is the push you need to get out of that weird place and start doing better for yourself. Trust me. Nothing you do to improve your own life is ever a waste of time.
xx
