The world is full of languages. Living in a world with over seven billion other people and over 7,000 languages, you will most definitely encounter people who do not speak your language. For me, that is one of the most frustrating things to experience. I want to talk to people. We always say that the United States is a melting pot. That we’re a country full of diverse people. That is something we should embrace. It’s amazing that we’re diverse and have so many opportunities to encounter wonderful people. But barriers do exist. There are language barriers that we must overcome, and it’s certainly worth it to do so.
1. It changes the way you think.
Many western languages like English, French, Spanish or German tend to focus on the individual more so than they focus on groups. For example, English has significantly more adjectives available to describe an individual that it does to describe a group or a unit. Many eastern languages would then be assumed to focus more on whole groups. People who speak multiple languages admit that they think differently depending on which language they are speaking. In this case, a person speaking a western language would find themselves to be more internally focused while someone speaking an eastern language might find themselves being more externally focused, and thinking more about how they function in a group.
2.It gives you an opportunity to meet more people.
Speaking another language gives you an opportunity to not only meet other people, but actually talk to them. Amazing, isn’t it? I mean, these people have the potential to become some of the most important people in your life, but you’re missing out on that opportunity simply because you can’t even talk to them. Bridge that gap, and give yourself the chance to be known to other people. Give yourself the chance to enter the lives of people you would otherwise be closed off to. There are so many people out there, and you can only speak to a fraction of them.
3.You never know when you might need it.
You might someday have a foreigner ask you for directions. They might know your language, but wouldn’t it be nice if you could just continue the conversation in their own tongue? Would if you take a business trip to another country? If you choose to learn a common language, then you might have that wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself in another world outside of your own.
4.You might find your next passion.
If you are struggling to find a driving force in your life, then learning a language might be your answer. Many people obtain great satisfaction from being able to relate to people, learning another language only helps you to be able to do this more.
5.It looks great on a resume.
Nothing says “hire me” like your ability to say you speak another language. That is, unless you don’t have a college degree and 7+ years of work experience. Also, you have to be an American citizen if you’re doing this in the United States because, let’s be honest, this rule is definitely biased.
6.It may delay the onset for Alzheimer’s.
Studies done by the University of Ghent in Belgium suggest that being bilingual may delay Alzheimer’s onset by up to 4 years. That’s an amazing thing to think about. I mean, you are increasing the longevity of your brain just by being able to speak more than one language.
7.It’s an attractive quality.
If none of the above reasons are enough to satisfy you, then there’s this: People generally consider it to be attractive if a person can speak two or more languages. So go on, wow your date when you take them to an expensive foreign restaurant and fluently and effortlessly speak to the waiter/chef/whatever in their own language.
Because if all else fails, do it because it looks good to other people.
