Less commonly taught languages can get a bad rap. Most Americans will wonder why the heck you’re bothering to learn some language that no American has ever heard of like Lahnda (spoken by 117 million people and either 10th or 13th most popular language in the world, depending on who you ask), when you could learn a useful language like Spanish or Chinese. Here are five reasons why everyone who tells you to learn a “useful” language is wrong.
1. English is already the world’s most useful language anyway.
If you’re comprehending this, you’re probably fluent in English. Congratulations! You speak the most spoken, most widespread language in the world.
2. It’s like having a secret code.
During a boring class, there’s nothing like scribbling in a language you know your teacher and classmates can’t read. Am I taking notes? Or am I writing a confession to the Zodiac killings? You’ll never know.
3. Native speakers will be a lot more impressed.
The French scoff at your mangling of their language. The Turks get excited that you’d even bother to try.
4. You’ll have a more unique skill.
Everyone has heard about how useful Chinese is to business. Half the over achieving high school students in this country have started taking it. Half a dozen or so of them might even be able to speak it. But you know how many took Hungarian?
5. It will change your perspective.
Every language has its own unique tics. Learning any language can make you question deeply held assumptions about the logical structure of the world. But less commonly taught languages have a special ability to alter your perceptions because their tics are known by so few other Americans.
