Studying a foreign language may improve your life in many different ways. Things like one’s health, career changes, relationships, and overall personal growth and development can all benefit from its use. However, people of English-speaking backgrounds are famously passive when learning a language that is not ours. Perhaps this is true of people of English-speaking descent in general. Learning a second language may open many doors after you already know one. We have compiled a list of seven compelling arguments supporting your decision to study a language other than English.
1. Bilinguals are less anxious and more pleasant to be around
It is common for bilinguals to feel as though they have two distinct personas — one in their mother tongue and one in their second. In part, this is because learning a second language requires you to be able to adapt to the ideals of both cultures. And while this may not sound ideal, it has a significant positive impact on your capacity to empathise with people since it allows you to switch between two different systems of worth.
You’ll have better connections if you can be more empathic and communicate better with the people in your life.
2. Improve brain health and delay Alzheimer’s and dementia
When it comes to improving your cognitive abilities, it doesn’t matter what your age is. Longer attention spans and improved memory are just two of the many advantages of listening to music. Finding a decent online quiz might be difficult since so many of them exist. Although you won’t learn as much as you would in a session, you can get an indication of your current proficiency level.
Research suggests that multi-lingual people have better cognitive performance as they get older. Furthermore, although being bilingual does not necessarily prevent Alzheimer’s or dementia, people who already have either disease tend to develop it 4.5 years later on average than monolingual individuals who already have the disease.
Instead of listening to those who advise you to keep your mind active in old age by doing puzzles like crosswords or sudoku, think about expanding your linguistic horizons by picking up a new language.
3. Bilinguals remember better
It has been shown that monolingual children tend to have poorer working memory than children who speak more than one language. This is especially true for children fluent in more than one language. Working memory is primarily developed during the first few decades of a person’s life, but it can also be learned and improved upon later in life. This means that even though it may be more challenging for you to learn a new language now than it would have been for you when you were younger, you can still reap the benefits of working memory training.
4. Enhance holiday selection
Travelling to a country where you speak the language may substantially enhance your vacation experience. There is nothing great than being able to interact with locals, navigate easily, and converse with anybody without difficulty.
One of the advantages of studying a foreign language is that it is often utilised outside of its nation of origin. Spanish is spoken in numerous countries, including Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Chile, and Cuba.
5. Improve Your Capacity for Learning
Your brain will naturally figure out ways to make learning the new language more effective as you continue. Mastering a foreign language may assist your brain get into gear to adapt to the process of learning new information and knowledge. Whether your goal is to study numerous languages or get more abilities, this is true.
6. Take Pleasure in a Cultured and Diverse Way of Life
If you speak a foreign language, you will have the opportunity to enjoy works of art in the language in which they were initially created. You don’t have to rely on movies and books that have been translated into English, nor on television series that have been poorly dubbed in English. You can appreciate the exquisiteness of the original message; whether it’s manga, Bollywood flicks, or Swedish rap, you can seize it in the purest expression possible.
7. Increase Your Self-Assurance
Conquer your anxieties and uncertainties, gain wisdom from your failures, discover more about who you are, and push yourself to your limits. Studying a language that is not your native tongue may be a very gratifying experience and can do wonders for your bravery and resolve. The more you use this language, the more you will get over your anxieties, and you will find it much simpler to communicate with other people.
Willing to learn a new language? Here are a few helpful tips: