Want to become a writer at Eat My News? Here is an opportunity to join the Board of Young Leaders Program by Eat My News. Click here to know more: bit.ly/boardofyoungleaders
In today’s era of globalization, the importance of effective communication is tremendous. Being multi-lingual is one of the key skills in the global community. It not only opens doors to myriad opportunities but also paves a way to broaden your career choices.
Language is one of the most powerful tools to express emotions and form lasting bonds with people. Imagine traveling to a distant country where English is not spoken and not being able to communicate even for basic necessities. Sounds nightmarish, doesn’t it?
Additionally, the ability to communicate in multiple languages is becoming more and more essential in the world of business. It strengthens relations with international clients and eliminates language barriers among corporates.
Mastering a new language can improve your life in mysterious ways. It is something that most people pursue only while relocating or when trapped in similar circumstances. However, as the world is getting closer day by day, we must foster an environment that promotes multilingual learning.
Now is the perfect time to remind yourself of those language learning goals that you once set.
Let us take a moment to revisit the reasons why you should invest time in learning a foreign language.
1. Widen Your Career Prospects
With the onset of a globalized economy, more companies than ever are now expanding their businesses internationally. Multilingual employees who deliver in diverse cultural environments are an asset to a company’s workforce.
Knowing multiple languages gives you an edge over competitors vying for the same position. It is a competency that will help you attain lucrative professional opportunities and make you more employable in the job market.
2. Diversify Your Network With People
Adaptability implies the ability to communicate with people of various dialects. Fluency in a foreign language makes you aware of different cultures around the world, thereby making you more flexible and open to other people’s opinions and actions.
Networking plays a crucial role in shaping one’s career path. It is an indispensable tool for building valuable corporate relationships. A key to enhancing these skills is to move swiftly across various groups of people and develop connections by conversing in their native language.
3. Boost Your Confidence
Research shows that learning a new language improves self-esteem and develops more confidence. Once you start the process, you will realize how it increases trust in yourself. One way of enhancing your language is to find a buddy and practice the things you have learned.
Though you may be intimidated at the beginning by a new dialect, it becomes easier as you make progress. This enriching experience will surely push you forward to undertake tasks that you always had a fear of.
4. Make Travel Interesting
Remember that time you got lost abroad in the labyrinth of unfamiliar alleys and struggled with asking people for directions or the time you could not decipher what was written on the direction boards? This is exactly when knowing the lingo is beneficial.
Traveling is much more than clicking hundreds of pictures or sauntering on the streets. It is about absorbing a country’s culture and people who live in it. Engaging in a conversation with local communities in their language is a pleasure most of us have never sought.
5. Increase Memory and Creativity
Any language comes with its distinctive flow. Learning a new language sharpens your intellect - be it remembering grammatical rules or memorizing certain collocations. Studies demonstrate that polyglots tend to have better memory and are more creative than monolinguals.
Challenging your mind to get accustomed to another tongue helps you explore in numerous ways. The more you exercise your brain to think, the more creativity it will exhibit. You will make mistakes initially by choosing incorrect words or forming flawed sentences. Remember, each failure is a stepping stone towards success.
6. Prevent Alzheimer's and Dementia
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia which refers to the loss of cognitive abilities. Some researchers have suggested that learning a foreign language might help ward off dementia at an early stage or delay the progression later in life.
Studies show that the brain of a multilingual is more resilient to the damage done by these diseases. Multilingualism opens your mind and helps the brain stay active. It helps you concentrate on a task and enhances key-problem solving skills.
7. View the World With a Different Perspective
The study of a foreign language makes you appreciate cultural diversity. Dealing with another culture enables you to gain a profound understanding of your own culture. By knowing a foreign language, you also participate more actively and responsibly in a multicultural surrounding.
As a multilingual, you will be able to bridge the gap between the two cultures. It is an eye-opening experience to gauge the world with a distinct understanding. Getting soaked in an entirely different dialect is a way to embrace openness and to be more tolerant.
Thus, learning a foreign language offers a multitude of benefits and opens newer avenues in life. It creates a more positive outlook and less prejudice towards other heritages. You can possibly experience the beauty aspects such as arts, literature, poetry, history, or music of people living in various countries.
People may have different reasons for wanting to learn a new language. Hopefully, the ones stated above will give you the much-needed boost to kick-start your learning.
Written by - Aishwarya Khandekar
Edited by - Daity Talukdar
Social