The Benefits of Learning a New Language
- Foster a Higher Tolerance Towards the Unknown. If you are like most people, you may feel a level of anxiety when it...
- Increase Your Job Prospects. If you have a country you’ve always dreamt of living in, look for language courses that...
- Learn to Succeed in a Globalized World. The world has become increasingly globalized. If you...
What works best when learning a new language?
Learning to speak a foreign language can be perilous. Brenda is a friend who served with the Peace Corps in Nicaragua. She was still learning Spanish and embarked on an adventure. Upon entering a small village, Brenda saw three men standing by a doorway. The word for man in Spanish is hombre and the word for hunger is hambre.
What are the pros of learning a new language?
see what plan works best to learn their chosen language, then get started learning in this new-old way. Futurism fans: To create this content, a non-editorial team worked with an affiliate partner.
What are the bad reasons about learning new languages?
- Memorizing
- Reading
- Listening
- Speaking
- Writing
How to quickly and efficiently learn a new language?
- Possibly the easiest thing you can do is watch television shows or movies in the language you are trying to learn. ...
- You should also attempt to read and write in your new language. ...
- Download podcasts or tune in to radio stations in your new language. ...
What are the advantages of learning a new language?
6 Surprising Benefits of Learning a LanguageLearning a new language improves your memory. ... Being bilingual makes you a better multitasker. ... Knowing other languages encourages cultural appreciation. ... Speaking other languages makes you a better communicator (in your native tongue too!) ... Learning a language encourages creativity.More items...
What are 5 benefits of learning a new language?
Acquiring a second language enables us to develop various mental abilities at all ages.Boosts brain power. ... Improves memory. ... Enhances the ability to multi-task. ... Sharpens the mind. ... Keeps the mind sharper for longer. ... Enhances decision-making. ... The first language is improved. ... Improves performance in other academic areas.More items...•
What are the 7 benefits of learning a language?
7 Benefits of Learning a Foreign Language!1) Get smarter. ... 2) A vast world of job opportunities. ... 3) Live better, live longer. ... 4) Increase cultural awareness. ... 5) Better understanding of one's mother tongue. ... 6) Increase your decision-making skills. ... 7) Become a global citizen.
What happens when you learn a new language?
More generally, learning a new language improves brain function, providing better memory, more mental flexibility and creativity, and can even delay the onset of dementia.
Why is learning a new language important?
When you study, you provide yourself with the opportunity to become more open-minded, to learn more about different cultures and to be able to communicate with others in more than your native tongue. At Middlebury Language Schools, we provide a learning environment where students, teachers, entrepreneurs, scholars and more can gather to study and learn.
Why is it important to learn a second language?
In addition to adding more job opportunities to your list, learning a second way of speech boosts your confidence. Once you master speaking in more than one language, you may feel like you can accomplish the things you set your mind to. You can apply this newfound confidence to job hunting. If you decide to move out of your home country, you will find it easier to carry on conversations with confidence rather than fear of saying the wrong thing or being unable to communicate.
What happens when you speak more than one language?
When you speak more than one language, you need to keep track of which one you’re speaking at any given moment. You learn not to switch to the wrong way of speech in the middle of a conversation. For example, you may remember to speak English to your family and then German or Spanish to your teachers. When you are bilingual, you have to utilize task switching and inhibition. You may find that you are better at multitasking and can pay attention without being distracted.
When learning, you have to be more open to ambiguity.?
When learning, you have to be more open to ambiguity. After all, there may be points in a conversation with a native speaker where you aren’t sure what a word or phrase means. You have to be willing to stop the conversation from saying you don’t know what was said. For those who do not have tolerance towards the unknown, this can be uncomfortable . Those who have a higher tolerance may be more entrepreneurial and social.
Is it better to be monolingual or fluent?
As someone studying a new way to communicate, you would begin to understand that better. Monolingual people are more likely to be critical of others who do not speak their native tongue.
Do bilingual children have more empathy than monolingual children?
In addition, research shows bilingual children have more empathy than monolingual children. Even children who are not fluent in the second tongue tend to be more empathetic and higher-level communicators. The research concluded that children exposed to a second language or who learn another one tend to have a better understanding of other’s perspectives.
Why is learning a language important?
Bilinguals have the unique opportunity to communicate with a wider range of people in their personal and professional lives. Knowing the language makes you a local no matter where you are, opening up your world literally and figuratively. You will be shaped by communities. You will be humbled by the kindness of strangers. You will build lifelong friendships. And for these reasons alone, you will see the reward of learning languages for many years to come.
What does it mean to learn a language?
Learning a language means putting yourself out there and moving out of your comfort zone. The upside is the amazing sense of accomplishment you’ll feel when conversing with someone in their native language. 9. Strengthen Your Decision Making.
What are the advantages of being bilingual?
Language skills can be a significant competitive advantage that sets you apart from your monolingual peers. They are among the top eight skills required of all occupations—no matter your sector or skill level—and the demand for bilingual professionals is rising exponentially. In fact, between 2010 and 2015, the number of U.S. job postings specifically geared toward bilingual candidates more than doubled. 1 Employers are seeking professionals who can communicate seamlessly with customers in new and expanding overseas markets, as well as serve and sell to a large foreign-born population here at home. With more than 60 million U.S. residents who speak a language other than English at home, you don’t need to get on a plane to put your language skills to work. 2 As an added incentive, in many instances, language skills also lead to hiring bonuses and increased salaries. Whatever your career aspiration—with language skills added to the mix, you’re ahead of the crowd!
What is the most rewarding aspect of human experience?
1. Connect! One of the most rewarding aspects of the human experience is our ability to connect with others. Being able to communicate with someone in his or her language is an incredible gift. Bilinguals have the unique opportunity to communicate with a wider range of people in their personal and professional lives.
Why don't people learn languages?
You’ve heard all the reasons why some people don’t learn languages, many of these founded on long-held myths and misconceptions . The truth is, in today’s increasingly interconnected and interdependent world, proficiency in other languages is a vital skill that gives you the opportunity to engage with the world in a more immediate ...
How does learning about another culture help us?
Learning about another culture sheds light on aspects of our own culture—both positive and negative —we may not have previously considered. You may find a greater appreciation for what you have, or you may decide to shake things up!
Is it more reason driven to speak a second language?
Studies show that decisions made in your second language are more reason-driven than those made in your native language. 4 Contrary to popular assumptions, when we deliberate in a second or third language, we actually distance ourselves from the emotional responses and biases deeply associated with our mother tongue. The result? Systematic and clear-headed decisions based on just the facts.
Why is learning a language important?
Learning a language is a great way to keep your brain healthy and sharp. Research shows that people who are multilingual may be better at processing language and other analytical tasks. Switching between languages causes the part of your brain responsible for problem-solving and filtering information to work more efficiently.
Why is it important to learn a different language?
While learning a different language can make you more aware of cultural differences, you also come to understand why those differences exist and the importance of respecting cultures different from your own.
Why is it important to know Spanish?
Knowing Spanish for instance, is helpful in learning and understanding other Romance languages like Italian, French and Portuguese.
Why is multilingualism important?
Having the ability and willingness to engage with many different kinds of people can go a long way in better understanding and tackling global challenges like poverty and inequality.
How many languages will disappear by the end of the century?
Language is one of the most important instruments of preserving heritage. According to the UN, half of the more than 6000 languages spoken in the world will disappear by the end of the century. And we may lose more than just words if we let them die out.
Why is it important to know a second language?
Knowing a second language also allows you to connect with more people and if you learn in a group setting, you’re automatically part of a larger community of language learners. For myself, speaking other languages keeps me connected to family and friends who live in other parts of the world that don’t speak English.
When is Mother Language Day?
In honor of International Mother Language Day, here’s why you should learn a new language. This Sunday, February 21st is International Mother Language Day. The annual observance, established by the UN in 1999, is a day to promote multilingualism and celebrate the world’s linguistic and cultural diversity, especially minority ...
Connect to people and cultures
Language is all about communication and connection, and studying a new language brings people and cultures closer to us. At the beginning, learning a language might feel like all vocabulary and grammar, but it doesn't take long to build up the skills to make meaningful connections in the new language.
Challenge your brain
Adults' brains may not be quite as flexible as children's, but they are still really adaptable and ready to learn! Most learners can reach their communication goals without striving for the vaguely-defined concept of "fluency," and your adult brain is definitely equipped for that kind of language learning.
Support healthy aging
For older adults, language learning can serve as an engaging activity that promotes problem solving and strategizing, which research shows can improve cognitive functioning.
It's never too early or too late to start learning!
From your brain's perspective, people of any age can learn new languages -- but it's typically harder for adults to find the time and resources to get the learning to stick. Language learning takes time and patience, and it should also be enjoyable.
How does language improve student performance?
In addition to meeting the needs of future students, language learning has been shown to greatly enhance student performance across the curriculum. Language learning has been shown to improve a student’s cognitive function, including, but not limited to: These cognitive benefits of language learning have been shown to enhance student performance ...
Why is it important to learn a second language?
In the 21st Century knowing a second language is not only beneficial, but necessary for success in life. The continual globalization of the world’s economy is bringing diverse cultures and communities into more frequent contact with each other. The ease of global travel and the internet have collapsed the barrier of distance that once kept the world’s communities separate. From the corporate marketplace to the individual consumer, from the pre-schools to universities, from the beach vacationer to the global jet set, the world community has become integrated and interdependent. Institutions of higher learning are scrutinizing applicants to identify future world leaders. Employers and businesses are seeking applicants who can navigate the modern global economy. It is through learning another language that students can develop both these skill sets. Learning another language also provides many other benefits including greater academic achievement, greater cognitive development, and more positive attitudes towards other languages and cultures. Simply put, language learning is necessary for students to effectively function in the modern global marketplace.
Why are institutions of higher learning scrutinizing applicants?
Institutions of higher learning are scrutinizing applicants to identify future world leaders. Employers and businesses are seeking applicants who can navigate the modern global economy. It is through learning another language that students can develop both these skill sets.
1. You Will Improve Your Native Languages
It’s only when we learn a new language, that we can appreciate the roots and fundamentals of our native language. This is because we grew up speaking our native language, without much thought in terms of how sentence structures worked or breaking down the accents for each syllable.
2. Enhances Your Focus
In a study, published online in the journal Brain and Language, individuals who spoke more than one language were observed through an fMRI, while performing word comprehension tasks. Results showed that multilingual individuals were better at filtering out competing words than one-language speaking individuals.
3. Prevents Common Brain Diseases
Hopefully none of us have to worry about this anytime soon, but aging is something that is common in all of us. When it comes to the brain, learning a new language can prevent or delay Alzheimer’s disease and dementia by 4.5 years. This is a far more powerful than the best drugs, which only delay the symptoms by 6–12 months.
4. Learn Anything Faster
In a study done in Massachusetts in 2007, the researchers have concluded that the “exercise in cognitive problem solving” through language learning can be directly applied to anything we want to learn. Your memory retention is also improved when learning a new language.
5. Become More Outgoing And Liked By Others
Language learning is not only about communicating in a foreign language, it’s about experiencing a new culture.
6. Double Your Creativity
We often have to puzzle together words to form a sentence until it fits and makes sense for another person. Learning a new language improves your divergent thinking skills, training you to produce multiple solutions to problems on a consistent basis.
7. Boost Your Confidence Level
When we set out to achieve something and find success, it boosts our confidence levels — no matter how small the success. Even being able to carry a 30-second conversation with a native speaker can significantly boost your confidence, because you know it’s something you wouldn’t have been able to do before.
Benefits of Learning a New Language
If you’ve ever wondered what the importance of learning a new language is and what the “bilingual advantages” are, keep reading to find out its benefits that might inspire and motivate you to learn a new language!
Social benefits
Knowing more than one language allows you to communicate with people abroad, understand what they’re saying, and bond with whoever speaks the language. Another advantage that comes with being bilingual is the ability to talk to someone you never thought you’d be able to communicate with within their native tongue.
Cognitive benefits
Cognitive flexibility is defined as the ability to shift between mental sets, in cognitive tasks and interactions (Corretjer et al, 2019). Since bilinguals or multilingual go back and forth between two or more languages, they demonstrate enhanced cognitive flexibility and tend to shift between tasks more easily than monolinguals.
Enhances Creativity
One of the surprising benefits of knowing multiple languages is verbal and nonverbal creative thinking.
Health Benefits and Improved Memory
Bilingualism provides a means to combat the natural decline of cognitive function. Research shows that older bilingual people have improved memory (Marian, 2012) compared to monolingual people, which leads to health benefits. Bilinguals are shown to display an advantage on working memory tasks.
Improves Your Academic Performance
Learning a second language helps with academic achievement in areas of reading and writing literacy, comprehension skills in language arts, math, writing, science, etc. Learning a new language also improves a student’s academic performance in areas of higher standardized test scores, expanded vocabulary in one’s native language, and higher academic performance at the college level. You might question why you have to learn a specific language in school now, but you will reap the benefits later. Learning the expressions of other languages will give you insight into different cultures, different perspectives, and can offer positive attitudes which can improve overall wellbeing.
Your First Language Is Improved
As you learn more about the foreign language’s grammar, vocabulary, idioms, you’ll begin to understand similarities and differences of sentence structure between languages as you become more aware of the nuances of a language. While before, you wouldn’t have been able to explain the abstract grammatical rules and structure of your native language as it comes more intuitively and like second nature..
