“Bonjour, mes amis!” (French), which means, “Hello my friends” in English. I find the French language fascinating! There are around 7,139 languages spoken across the globe. Out of which English is the most widely spoken language (around 1,132 million speakers) followed by Mandarin- Chinese language (1,117 million speakers) and Hindi language (615 million speakers). And some of the other common official languages are French and Spanish. I believe every country has more than two official languages. It’s because using multiple languages in official tasks makes people understand the message in a better way. And certainly, multilingualism gained popularity due to global trade and businesses. Maybe that’s also one of the reasons why many global organizations have started asking their employees to learn new languages.
In fact, many experts believe every human being must know about communicating in more than three languages. It bridges the communication gap when dealing with people from different parts of the world. According to Ethnologue.com, Papua New Guinea is a country that speaks over 800 languages. Furthermore, some experts say, there are numerous benefits of learning new languages. Let’s check out the positive aspects of knowing a foreign language.
The Top 12 Benefits of Learning a New Language.
Improves Problem-solving Skills
Why learn new languages to improve your analytical skills? That might be your first question. But learning a new language boosts your grasping power. Your brain is wired two ways. One part makes you think logically and the other makes you think creatively.
Experts say, children learning a new language are always good at analytical skills. It is easier to learn a language at an early stage. And for adults, if you learn new languages, you also learn how to manage multiple tasks at a time. That’s because your brain cells are exercised. The more you learn new things, the more efficiently your brain functions. And that’s how you manage to solve the problems more quickly.
Helps You to Get Advantage Over Others
Being polyglot or multilingual will always favor you at your workplace. Wish to know how? Well, if you know more than three official languages, people will always seek your help.
You will be the most sought-after person at your workplace just for knowing multiple languages. It will also help you to have a clear understanding of how your organization is functioning, what your company is dealing with, and how you can push the progress with your multilinguistic skills.
Learning a New Language can Help you Become a Good Negotiator
Having command over one language is beneficial. But have you experienced the power of being multilingual? As aforementioned, you gain an advantage over other people while trying to crack a deal.
Having the knowledge of an additional language will help you to connect with the other person. For instance, if you are dealing with a Chinese client, and if you know how to speak in Mandarin, then it will get easier for you to get along with the client. Language makes you comfortable. It develops a sense of trust when dealing with business. That’s how you become good at negotiating things.
Helps You to Connect with People
Are you a hodophile? If yes, then connecting with local people must be a task to you. It isn’t easy to connect with the locals if you don’t speak their native language. Of course, the translating apps can be at your aid, but not all the time. Hence, you must at least know the basic words and phrases of the country you are traveling to.
The other benefit of learning new languages is you get to know the people around you. Many travelers find it easy when they know a common language. Locals who speak English can be an added advantage but if not, then you may keep struggling with gestures.
You Can Become a Translator
Some certification levels can help you to become a translator. Many foreign organizations who try to establish themselves in other countries often hire local translators. It is not easy to become a translator in a short span.
But with dedication and determination, you can learn a new language in months. Learning a new language requires practice. You learn a language by imitation. Hence, the more you speak and the more you write, the faster you’ll gain command over the language.
You Can Push your Earning Potential
Well, it’s quite clear when you have an additional quality or skill, you always have an edge over others. Having the knowledge of a foreign language can help you to boost your regular income.
For instance, if you managed to learn new languages, and reached an advanced level, you can easily start teaching others. Various universities offer online certification on passing their exams. With the help of a certification, you can commence teaching the beginners and start a second source of income.
Strengthens your Vocabulary and Polishes First Language
Be it, children or adults, learning new languages help in improving your first language. Additionally, your vocabulary boosts up when learning new words from another language. You can take the help of language learning apps to help you speak, write, and read new words.
Different language learning apps like Memrise, LinguaLift, Hello Talk, Rosetta Stone, Mindsnacks, Busuu, and Babbel are some of the best language learning apps. But amongst them, Duolingo is one of the promising apps that helps in learning multiple languages. The app offers 106 different language courses and helps you to keep a track of your progress. I believe time spent on learning something constructive and productive is an investment in yourself.
You Become a Better Communicator
While learning a foreign language, you understand how to ask a particular question. You learn how to use the tone, the words, and the grammar to form a meaningful sentence. Of course, it’s not just about asking questions, but also how to get your message across in the right way.
You get an opportunity to rectify your mistakes that you were making in your regular conversations. That’s especially true when you hire a teacher to learn new languages. We unknowingly make grammatical errors while speaking but we aren’t aware of them. Unless we get rectified by someone else. That’s how you become a better communicator.
You Get Cultural Insights
When I started learning the French language, I got a deeper understanding of the French culture and their eating habits. For instance, the most frequent words while learning the French language were boulangerie (bakery), le gateau (the cake), de Fromage (cheese), La Pizza (Pizza), etc.
Through these words, I learned that cheesy pizza and bakery products are commonly eaten in France. Likewise, you get to learn many things that define the lifestyle of the people of that country. It’s a fun way to learn the habits of people from different parts of the world.
People will Find you Approachable
Honestly, there is no direct link to you becoming friendly because you know an additional language. But yes, once a foreign delegate finds out that you speak their language, you’ll be approached daily.
That’s at the workplace of course! But it’s also applicable when you go on a tour. People will approach you frequently if they face any language barriers. And believe me, psychologically, you’ll find it pleasing to help others.
Helps in Career Growth
Many international companies give first preference to those employees who can communicate in a foreign language. Many organizations sponsor language learning programs so that their employees learn new languages.
It is always in the best interest of the organization when their employees can communicate in multiple languages. So, if you wish to travel abroad at the company’s expense, then you must learn a foreign language. Mandarin, Spanish, and French language speakers are the most preferred employees in today’s times.
You Become More Assertive
When you become a better communicator, you become a confident person. By learning a new language, you unlock your potential. You realize how easy it becomes to get your message across when you speak a foreign language.
When you push yourself to learn something new and become successful in that task, it inspires you to explore newer ideas. It is all about feeding your mind. The more you challenge yourself, the more you explore yourself. That’s why you must learn new languages.
Conclusion
Learning a new language takes practice. It’s an art. The more you dedicate your time to polish your skills, the faster you’ll flourish. Excellence is the key to success. Linguistic skills are much more important than we think. That’s the reason why every individual must pledge to learn at least two foreign languages to push the growth on their career charts. Knowledge of any kind never goes to waste; it proves useful in the future.
