Everything foreign has always fascinated us humans and that does not leave the exception of languages. It is only human nature that we are attracted to new ideas, cultures and languages from other nations. After all, there are many benefits of learning a foreign language. Therefore, in this article, we take you around learning a foreign language.
10 Awesome Benefits of Learning a Foreign Language
Becoming a bilingual or multilingual person has its own perks. To some it’s cool so they can show off in their friends’ circle whereas to some, it is necessary or part of a job. Well, wherever you are in that spectrum, here are the top reasons for you to learn a new language.
It is a Great New Skill
Learning a new language is a new skill that you learn and it helps you throughout your life. To be able to speak in a new language adds to your work CV in a creative work field such as marketing, telemarketing, sales, and others.
Connect with New People
Language is the main barrier when it comes to connecting with people from different countries. Therefore, learning to speak a foreign language will help you come closer to many people. You can sign up on international groups on social media and socialise in a fun new way. And there are so many language learning applications available to get you started where you can learn as well as make new friends.
Get to Know Foreign Cultures and Perspective
Learning a new language through rules and grammar is not enough. It is like words without any context. The essence of any language is in the culture of the country it originated from. So, learning a foreign language gives you a peep into that new culture.
You may inculcate appreciation and admiration for that new culture, meet new people, and befriend people you never thought you’d meet.
Improves Your Communication Skills
A new language polishes your communication skills greatly. You learn to listen more carefully, think creatively, and speak judiciously. These skills help you communicate better not only in that language but other languages you know too.
You can also gain reading and writing skills in the new language. Thus, you will learn how to accumulate information and eventually become fluent.
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Improves Your Cognitive Functions
When you learn a new language, or at least attempt to, you don’t just learn new vocabulary. It helps you acquire better cognitive functions such as your logic, reasoning, and ability to analyse.
It exercises your memory and improves your focus. These functions are the cognitive brain’s needs and exercises to detect the right word, language, and sense.
It Slows Your Ageing
A study found that picking up a new language actually slows the ageing process and even helps prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Studies also revealed speaking more than one language opens up the neural pathways in our brains.
This keeps us young by helping us process information quickly and more efficiently. So, you should get around to learning a new language today!
It Boosts Your Creativity
To communicate in your second language, you need to learn how to use hints, context, answers, and/or body language. It helps you get better at creative thinking, which is the ability to find more than one answer to a problem.
Because you usually have to think about different linguistic and cultural differences on top of your limited language skills and mental roadblocks. All of this helps you think about things in different ways.
Makes You Self Confident
Knowing something new helps us feel more satisfied with ourselves. This helps us be more self confident. Speaking a foreign language helps us stand out not just among our peers or colleagues but in our conscience too.
As you learn the language and get better at it, you’ll become more self-aware and more confident in your ability to use it. This can also make you more attractive to others. People will respect you for trying to learn a new language.
Helps You Multitask
Multitasking can be very stressful for people who aren’t used to it or who don’t know how to do it well. Language learning, in fact, can boost your multitasking ability.
A study from Pennsylvania State University says that people who can think in more than one language and switch between them often are much better at doing more than one thing at once and are less stressed.
Enhances Academic Performance
Studies show that learning a new language can help you do better on maths, reading comprehension, and vocabulary standardised tests. Students who speak more than one language tend to do better on these kinds of tests than students who only speak one language. This is because they have better brains.
Parents and teachers should push their kids to learn a second language because it makes them better at solving problems in general. Therefore, the benefits of learning a foreign language is quite far-reaching.
Bottom Line
Learning a foreign language can be a fun hobby to pick in your leisure time. One can also do it dedicatedly. Whatever be your reason, whichever be your language, this hobby can give you a new perspective of life. So, pick up your favourite foreign language today!
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