Learning an extra foreign language was the best decision I ever made. Here are 10 benefits of learning a language that will convince you to take the plunge and improve your life.
1. More authentic travel
Having the ability to speak the language of the area you are travelling to has an unlimited number of advantages. Firstly, those who can communicate effectively with waiters and staff can expect to receive better service. Furthermore, it opens up the possibility to experience tourism on a less saturated and more local level. Knowing the local language of your holiday destination can break down social barriers and allow you to see local life from a more cultural perspective.
2. After learning one, it is 100x easier to learn another
This is my absolute favourite fact about learning languages. Once you become fluent in your chosen language, it becomes so much easier to learn another one! The techniques you pick up when learning your second language are easily transferable to any other. Moreover, you develop something called metalinguistic awareness, where your brain learns to recognise the processes involved in learning a new language and breaks them down into a series of steps. Thus, it is easy to transfer your linguistic knowledge across languages.
3. Decision making is easier in a foreign language
A study from the University of Chicago found that we are able to make more rational decisions with less bias when thinking in a foreign language. How cool is that?
4. It can protect against cognitive decline
More and more studies show that bilingualism can help you delay or even prevent cognitive decline such as Alzheimer’s disease. If you speak two or more languages, regardless of your education level, you are more likely to delay any development in diseases such as Alzheimer’s, or even prevent them fully.
5. It improves your first language
Learning a new language makes you more conscious of the formation of your mother tongue. Personally, I learnt so much more about the English grammar, sentence structure, different cases, and even idioms through learning German and Ukrainian.
6. Meeting new people
When you learn a new language, you open up numerous doors around the world. Having the ability to travel to different countries and meet new people there will not only broaden your personal network, but it will also provide you with useful links within your professional sphere.
7. Employers love it
There is no question that employers love those who can speak more than one language. It can also lead to higher pay, with studies showing that those with language skills on average earn an extra 10-15% .
8. Being bilingual can make you a better multitasker
Several studies have shown that bilingual children and even adults can switch tasks much quicker, mainly because they switch between languages frequently and their brain is better adapted to limiting distractions.
9. Connecting with your heritage
If you are tempted to pick up a new language that is linked to your personal heritage, I would 100% recommend you do so. Not only will you be able to reconnect with your culture and family history, but you can also create stronger bonds with your relatives if you speak the same language. Maybe your grandparents speak your mother tongue as their second language, so if you learn their first language you can have deeper conversations.
10. Being bilingual may make your brain bigger
Recent research suggests that speaking more than one language could make your brain bigger. Like any other muscle, the brain increases in size when it is exercised. Speaking and reading in a foreign language are one of the best exercises you can do.
Why learn a second language? Because it is life changing
If you can not already tell by these 10 reasons, learning a second language will dramatically improve your life. It could lead to a new job, new friends, better travel experiences, and even a new life! The only thing stopping you is your determination.
So now you know the 10 benefits of learning a language, which one will you be learning?
46 Comments
lifestyleseason
Great post! I have been learning french for 7 years and now I’ve started learning Spanish!
Blog of Sunshine
Thank you! It is so much easier with your second language, isn’t it?!
Claire O'Beirne
These are really great tips! I started learning French in school years ago and even now, many years on, Ive still retained a bit of the language and it certainly makes conversations a bit easier!
I’ve just started learning Indonesian as I really struggled on my Bali trip. This is just motivation to practice more!
Blog of Sunshine
Good luck in your language journey! I definitely recommend you try Duolingo or U-Talk to help you with Indonesian 🙂
Laura Meyers
That’s so true! I’d like to learn Spanish, would have been so useful when I traveled in Guatemala 🙈
Blog of Sunshine
I definitely recommend that you take the plunge! Travelling becomes so much more fun and rewarding when you can break down language barriers!
Silvia
Absolutely true all of it ! Trying to learn now Swedish ❤
Blog of Sunshine
Swedish seems like such a cool language, and the country is really beautiful!
Meaghan
Love this! I’ve been thinking of picking Italian back up for a while and now I have to do it.
Blog of Sunshine
Good luck in your language journey! 🙂
Kelly Diane
These are some great reasons. I’ve been learning Greek on and off for several years but I’d love to have more time to do it.
Alyssa
This is awesome! I’m learning French right now (well, struggling along is more like it), but this gave me a lot of encouragement. Thank you!
Blog of Sunshine
Good luck with French! 🙂
Chris - CJ Attractions Guide
I’m learning a language at the moment and this is great motivation! Thanks for sharing 😊
Blog of Sunshine
Thanks for the great feedback! 🙂
Gemma Jayne
I am currently learning German and I love all these tips because they are the reasons I wanted to learn languages! Once I get German I want to learn other languages too 😊
Blog of Sunshine
I hope learning German is going well for you 🙂 I’ll have some blog posts about German and some German tips up in the near future!
Liz
I tried learning a language but sadly gave up. This makes me motivated to pick up where I left off and learn it once again!
Blog of Sunshine
Unfortunately it is so easy to give up on learning a language, I hope you can find the motivation to continue 🙂
Alexis
Great read! I’ve been really trying to brush up on Spanish with being at home so much
Tori
Wow this post couldn’t have gone at a better time for my. My most recent blog post talks all about goals and I mention my goal to learn Spanish, finally. Thank you for the motivation !!
Blog of Sunshine
Wow – what a coincidence! I’ll go check out your blog post now, good luck with learning Spanish!
Molly
I love this! I desperately want to learn a language, I think its such a good achievement!x
Alison Kelly
This is one of the daily learning activities I will be doing with my kids this summer. We’re trying out Duolingo Spanish. Thanks for the post!
Blog of Sunshine
I hope it goes well for you all!
Shaneeshna Lobit
Amazing!
So true, i speak 9 languages and It is definitely an advantage for many many things 😇
Blog of Sunshine
Wow! 9 languages is an amazing achievement, well done! 🙂
Alicja
That may motivate me to finally refresh my French!
Blog of Sunshine
I really recommend you do so! Let me know how it goes 🙂
Jirah Merizz
Thank you so much for sharing these! It’s so informative. It’s the first time I’ve known about it can protect cognitive disease and I totally agree with you that it improves my first language. I’ve been learning Italian for some time now and I really enjoy it. ❤️
Zenobia
I have been wanting to learn a second language for years! I studied French in high school for three years and loved it.
Under flowery sky
So true, I love learning languages specially French. It makes you so powerful
and with the feeling of triumph. Opens new horizons learning about culture..
Rayo
Great post, I’ve been trying to learn French for a while now but I gave up on it. But it’s something I would like to learn, thanks for this post
Val
Great post! 100% agree with what you said. The best part about being bilingual is that you get to meet more people and learn about other cultures that share the same languages that you know
Mari
This is a great list! I’m currently learning Japanese right now and I’m kind of on the verge to give up. But your Top Ten list has motivated me to try again 🙂 Thank you for putting this post together x
Mari | http://www.dazedmari.com
The Queensights
Thanks for this! I never thought of these. Hoping I can fully learn some new languages in the future x
Katie Harding
For me, my other half is half French and I didn’t know his family that well until I lived with them for 2.5 months during lock down! Then realised they’re really French and speak it all the time in their house.
So I’ve started learning and I’m learning slowly but it feels pretty good to be able to say even basic sentences i another language!
Katie | katieemmabeauty.com
Ashley
I love learning new languages! I’ve been trying for years but it’s so difficult for me. But now that I see all the benefits maybe I will try harder!
Liz Hartley
I would love to be able to speak another language! I totally agree that when travelling with someone that does speak the language does lead to some really amazing experiences!
Hayley
I literally agree with you 100% I feel that when you learn languages people respect you more. Every country I visit, I learnt at least the basics of their language if not some… I always try it!! But it is very hard… I am currently learning Spanish and I am picking it up okay, but it is hard.
How many languages do you speak? xx
Brooke
You made so many good points in this post. As someone who has studied Latin, Spanish, and French, I totally agree that learning languages helps with so many aspects in your life. I am not fluent in any of them, but I can get my way around while traveling just from the little I remember. And when I was last in Mexico, it all came flooding back, and I communicated for my entire family on the trip.
charlotte
Oh wow this was interesting – I would love to become fluent in French or Spanish, I think they are gorgeous languages! x
– charlotte / https://charlottesspace.com
Cole
This is so true! I have been working on my Spanish recently and I’d love to learn another language too.
Regine Karpel
I agree.
http://www.rsrue.blogspot.com
Johanna Tatlow
I grew up bilingual. Now I am watching my husband trying to learn my second language and teach our son.
Alice Myles
I love learning languages! I did french, german and Spanish in school and then taught myself Italian after I finished school! I’m currently attempting to learn danish but I’m struggling!