With a growing global industry, being bilingual has never been more valuable.

Being in the process of learning a few languages myself, I know how discouraging the idea of learning a completely different language is. Who has time, right? With all that our lives ask of us, it seems silly to try and learn something without a specific reason to.

Though you can get by as a monolingual, being bi- or multi-lingual has not only broadens career potential, but many studies show that knowing more than one language can have massive benefits towards expanding intellect.

1. More work options.

I know this is pretty obvious, but not exactly for the reason you might think. Though it's great to be bilingual here in America, there are some amazing opportunities for work abroad, most especially in areas such as teaching, interpreting, and tutoring.

2. Studying abroad.

Let's face it, college here is getting more and more expensive, which is why students should really consider going to foreign colleges. Not only are there schools abroad that are significantly affordable, but it looks great on a resume to say that you went to school out of the country.

3. Enhances brain functions.

There are a slew of studies that show a correlation between bilingualism and cognitive function. Knowing more than one language gives a person a wider range of skills compared to someone who knows only one, and could even help enhance/strengthen memory.

Being multilingual may be difficult to manage, but there are a lot of ways to make learning another language a whole lot easier—Duolingo, for example, is a free site and application that allows people to learn languages from German to Spanish. Understanding more than one language not only gives you a head start in the global industry, but helps you develop the skills and techniques that you'll need in the future.