Learning a new language can be challenging at times, but succeeding in it can bring you dividends. On the other hand, remaining monolingual, can mean a huge loss in different aspects life: personal, professional, social, and even economic. As I don’t want you to be trapped in any of them, I’m including here 10 excellent reasons for learning foreign languages.

1. To Improve Your Own Language

Research shows that students who know other languages have a better understanding of language in general and are able to use their native language more effectively.

While learning a foreign language, students engage in an incredible comparison journey of their native language and the target language which helps discover why their language is the way it is and why the other language is different. They become more focused and exercise their brain more intensely, leading to stronger vocabulary skills, better understanding of their own language and improved literacy in general.

There is also a strong correlation between extended foreign language study with higher reading achievement as well as enhanced listening skills and memory.

2. Because Learning a Second Language is Much Easier 

After you learn one foreign language, learning a second language is much easier. You already have an idea of what to expect from yourself; and you have already created a system that helps you master vocabulary and put it into practice. Now, you can compare your own language as well as the first language you’ve already conquered to the new language you’re learning.

3. To Improve Cognitive and Life Skills

Studying a language implies the use of a variety of learning skills.  Therefore, learning a foreign language can enhance one’s ability to learn and function in several other areas.

People who have learned foreign languages show greater cognitive development in areas of mental flexibility, creativity, and higher thinking skills, resulting in better problem-solving, conceptualization, and reasoning. 

As the students discover new cultural ideas, they become better equipped to adapt and cope in our fast-changing world. They also learn how to deal with different situations and are better prepared to respond with tolerance, understanding and effective communication to people from diverse walks of life.

4. College and Graduate Schools Require Languages

Nowadays, in the United States, most colleges and universities require a minimum of two years of high school foreign language instruction for admission. Most undergraduate programs also require language courses as part of their curriculum to acquire a degree. Many majors even require the study of more than one language to ensure success in the given field.

For students planning to continue on to graduate study, most fields also require the knowledge of a second language, and sometimes, even a third one to enter the program.  From mathematics to anthropology, from biology to art history, most graduate courses will require the study of a foreign language. In some doctoral programs, students are even expected to have high level reading in other languages as important research is often published in languages other than English.

5. To Enhance Career Choices

When you know a foreign language, you can compete for jobs that call for that specific language. With that knowledge added to your resume, you will have better career choices. It might make a significant difference in your earnings as well as in your area of influence. 

Globalization has become a popular word in recent years, and many companies know that entering the international market is inevitable. As they do, they need competent foreign language speakers to represent them and negotiate on their behalf.

Besides, those international companies, there is a broad array of organizations that need well trained employees with foreign language skills: government agencies, travel agencies and companies, engineering, communications, the field of education, international law, economics, public policy, publishing, advertising, entertainment, and scientific research.

6. Better Appreciation of Literature, Music and Film

The majority of the literary works in the world have been written in languages other than English. While there are English translations of many great works, reading a book in its original language can make a big difference for the reader to really appreciate the author’s intended meaning. Knowing the target language will help him to understand the writers choice of words, metaphors, innuendos, and cultural references, and will avoid any loss in translation.

Knowing a foreign language also helps a person to fully appreciate other forms of art such as theater, music, and film.

7. Learn About Oneself and the Culture

There is a huge connection between language and culture. As someone learns a foreign language, he can definitely be enlightened in the behavior and customs of the people of another nation.

As you learn another language, you have the opportunity to compare your customs, traditions, and norms to those of the people in the target language. Inevitably you will realize why you are what you are and how much your culture played a role in it. Intercultural experiences widen your ways and perspectives to see things and appreciate life.

8. Enhances Your Travel Experience

Knowing another language certainly enhances your travel experience: The traveler can engage more easily with the country folk. Of course, there is not a requirement to learn a language to travel to a foreign country. There are plenty of tours with guides who speak most languages. However, your understanding of the culture and communication with the native folks will totally depend on what your tour guide does.

On the other hand, Knowing the target language of the country you’re visiting, gives you the opportunity to experience the local people and their culture more closely. It gives you the confidence to walk around on your own. You will be able to order food in a restaurant, to ask for and understand directions, and to even negotiate prices when buying something from vendors. Also, in most countries, locals appreciate when you make an effort to learn their language, and they are much more receptive and willing to help. 

9. Improve Global Communication

Learning another language allows you the ability to step inside the mind of the natives and to understand the context of the culture.  It not only enables you to express yourself in a new language, but also to communicate with foreigners taking into consideration their culture.

Lack of intercultural sensitivity can lead to mistrust and misunderstandings, the inability to cooperate, negotiate, and compromise, and perhaps, even to military confrontation between two nations.

Intercultural understanding begins with an individual who has language skills and who can provide this own nation or community with an insider’s view into a foreign culture; who can understand foreign news sources, and give insights into other perspectives on international situations and current events. Someone who utilizes a foreign language well can be the bridge to clarify the terms of negotiations, to resolve conflicts and to guarantee trade and peace among different nations.

10. Just for Your Enjoyment

Each language has its own unique beauty, and you might decide to learn one just for your own enjoyment. From its written form to its sounds, from its grammatical patterns to its speaking rhythm, it is simply fascinating to immerse oneself into the discovery of a new language.

I don’t know about you, but I would love to study them all. I believe that when someone wishes to learn a foreign language for whatever reason it maybe – and really gets into it, learning can be fun and very rewarding.  As you grow in the knowledge of the new language and the culture, comparing them to your own, you embark in a new universe and uncover things that you had never dreamed of.  

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1. Have A Positive Attitude

Have a positive attitude towards learning a new language is key to your success.  Believe that you will conquer it and desire to conquer it. Decide what is the specific reason for your learning the language you chose, and strive towards that goal. As anything else you do in life, when learning a new language you should have a big enough motivation for doing so or you will get no where. The hardships along the way will distract you.

Most of the time young people study a foreign language just to fulfill school requirements. Others consider their own language hard enough , and don’t have any motivation for learning a different language. Still, others want to learn a new language, but don’t want to make any effort. These are the perfect ingredients for failure.

2. Stay Focused!

Remember, stay focused! Make up a schedule and follow it daily. Dedicate at least an hour of your day to the new language. Learn new stuff every day for at least twenty minutes, then, review it for ten minutes. Do fun things with the rest of your time. Be sure to use all of your language abilities: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Be creative! Find an interesting site online where you can put at least three of those into practice. After you do the listening you can pause and repeat it. If possible, use a mirror. If watching a video, imitate the facial gestures of the speaker when repeating what he says.

3. Learn New Vocabulary

As you learn new vocabulary, physically label everything you can in the house with the new words instead of making  the traditional flash cards. If the words in the target language have different genders, learn the proper article that goes with each word.  And every time you look at an object and see the label, you will associate the object to the word in the target language without having to translate it.  And you can say the words to yourself either silently or out loud. I suggest that you say them out loud, so you can hear yourself speaking the new language.

Learn whole expressions in the target and know their equivalent in your language instead of translating them word for word.  

Practice the new vocabulary! Repeat after listening to them until you feel comfortable with them. Then, talk to yourself, talk to the mirror, talk to friends, join a language forum and find someone who speaks that language and who’s willing to practice it with you.

4. Don’t Be Self-conscious

Don’t be self-conscious about making mistakes, after all mistakes are part of learning. Just be alert to recognize the mistake, what the correction it, and repeat it until you feel confident about it. Do your best to remember the correction next time you that word, expression or sentence. And most importantly, don’t let any hiccup stop you!

5. Don’t Worry About Your Accent

Don’t worry about your accent. Anyone who learns a foreign language will always have some kind of accent, some more some less. The only people who usually don’t have an accent are children who are born bilingual. That happens because they learn two languages at the same time as they grow up; one at home with their parents, and the other in the community and at school. They usually have no accent in either language. However, I have seen exceptions. 

6. Immerse Yourself In The New Language

Immerse yourself in the new language as much as possible: watch a lot of TV and movies; listen to music, read, and most of all, find ways to use the target language. Watching children’s programs and reading children’s books could be very helpful at the beginning. As you improve, you can graduate to watching more age appropriate programs on TV including the news.  If you’re already living in the country of the target  language, you can consider hiring a professional language teacher to help you speed up the process. As you use the new language, it will become a natural part of your active vocabulary.

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