Learning a new language is not only encouraged in public and private schools, some parents also enroll their kids in summer language programs.
While some adults use free language learning apps and movies to learn the basics of a new language, some go a step further and enroll in a language learning program.
The question on your mind is ‘why would someone want to learn a new language?’.
In this blog post, you will understand why many adults are taking free and paid language courses and investing time in learning new languages through language learning apps, websites and movies.
There are many reasons why people – children and adults learn new languages, and they can be classified into personal, professional, cultural and psychological.
There are many personal advantages of learning foreign languages, even if it’s just the basics and you can’t speak it fluently.
Learning a new language or just trying to learn the basics of a different language from the one you speak helps you develop self confidence. As basic as it may seem, any learning journey has its own difficulties and challenges.
Overcoming these hurdles gives a boost to your self-confidence and it sends a message to you that you’re capable of achieving your other dreams if you consistently work towards achieving them.
Your creativity is boosted when you learn a new language. Instead of thinking about things in just one way, you’re able to have many other thought processes and see things in a different light.
You start to think in another language backed by a different culture, and that helps you to become more creative.
When you learn a new language, you’re learning about the culture of a group of people.
You learn proverbs, a little bit of history and literature, and that gives you an insight to who they are and what they have been through as a collective.
Usually, this helps you to build tolerance and empathy as you understand better where they are coming from and why they think and do things the way they do.
It also helps you to understand why certain people from that culture behave and react to situations the way they do.
Learning a different language automatically makes you an international client because that means that you can interact with more professionals all around the world.
It also means you can work for multinationals and contribute to the development of your workplace in many different ways and places.
In addition, you can work for employers who don’t speak your native language more conveniently.
Being multilingual means that you have the opportunity to apply to more jobs, and have the potential of being selected for more jobs than if you could only speak one language.
It also means that you can apply to other jobs that are situated in other countries where you are able to speak the language widely spoken.
The more languages you speak, the more international job opportunities for you.
There are millions of digital resources available to help your career and professional life, and many of them are best in their original languages. In fact, some of them have not been translated to other languages.
E-books, videos, digital courses, educational blog posts and downloadable infographics are available in many different languages, and the ability to understand more than one language means that you can enjoy their benefits.
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart’ is a popular quote by Nelson Mandela.
It’s quite obvious that when you know how to speak someone’s language, they open up more and are more interested in connecting with you and talking to you.
You also see things from their perspective and understand their point of view.
When you are bi- or multi-lingual, you’re more culturally aware and diverse and you don’t believe stereotypes that have been ingrained unconsciously through the media and single stories.
You’re open to learning, unlearning and relearning and you’re ready to be more accommodating towards people from different cultures.
Learning a new language contributes to global peace in the long run as you become more tolerant and empathetic towards other people’s struggles and beliefs.
Research has proven that when you learn a new language, your brain is fed. You can read more about this here.
There are many things that go into learning a new language – vocabulary, grammar, intonation, culture and so many others. All of these learning has to take place simultaneously and this makes it challenging to the brain.
As you probably know, the more you use your brain, the smarter you become.
Your attention span and ability to multitask is improved when you learn a new language. You have to think about what you want to say and how best to say it within seconds before actually speaking, and that helps you to multitask better.
Also, when listening to someone in your target language or a newly acquired one, you need to pay better attention to grasp what they’re saying and that makes you a good listener and increases your attention span.
If you have plans to tour the world, then learning new languages can make that dream come true easily. It gives you an edge at visa interviews and helps you to travel more conveniently by communicating better with a diverse group of people.
It may be hard to believe, but when you learn a new language, it helps you to understand your native language even better.
This is because learning a new language makes you pay attention to your own language and challenges you to think about things you have never even given a thought to.
Some opinions were passed down onto you by others and some of them are based on hearsays and stereotypes. When you learn a new language or languages, you learn new cultures and realize some of your opinions were developed with ignorance.
This helps you to consistently reflect on your opinions and why you think the way you do.
How can you learn a new language?
There are many ways to learn a new language. You can enroll in a language course here, learn by watching movies in your target language, an immersion program or through language learning apps.
Which language should you learn?
The language you should learn is totally dependent on your goals. Why do you want to learn a new language? Which language can help you to achieve that goal?
Where can you learn a new language?
You can learn a language with The Imoh Essien Language Institute. Start your language learning journey here.
Language learning doesn’t only open your door of opportunities, it also benefits your personal and social development and uplifts your skills in many aspects of life.
