Lots of people want to learn a foreign language for different reasons. Some could be for professional reasons, such as: to add up a credential to a resume, to impress an employer, to increase the likelihood of foreign assignment, or maybe to prepare for relocation to a foreign land after a promotion. Others do it for just their own personal reasons, like: fascination with a certain country’s culture, easy way to talk to locals when travelling, chance to meet new friends, or even just wanting to watch an anime or any foreign language show without having to look at subtitles.
Whatever the reasons may be to start learning a new language, it’s no doubt that there are tremendous benefits to this endeavor. Let’s discuss some of the few:
1. Helps you make new friends
When you travel, it’s harder to make new friends when you don’t speak their native tongue. But when you are visiting a foreign land and you can speak their language, chances are high that the locals would entertain you better and be warmer to you. Surely they will appreciate your effort of immersing yourself into their culture and language, and you’re bound to make friends that way.
But you don’t actually have to go to the other side of the globe just to make new friends for learning a new language. You can simply enroll in foreign language class- you’ll surely meet new faces there.
2. Your ability to multi-task will improve
A study from the Pennsylvania State University found that bilingual speakers are more talented at multi-tasking than those who can only speak one language. Multi-tasking can be very demanding for the brain, but those who have learned to juggle between languages can more naturally juggle various activities while committing only minimal errors.
3. Improves memory
We know from basic psychology classes that the more the brain is used, the better it becomes. Learning a new language requires not just familiarity with words, but also of its rules. Actual application of the language requires frequent recalling of the rules. This is like a gym for your brain. It gives great workout, thus, your memory is less likely to be weak or falter. Multilingual speakers are found to better recall names, figures, or directions.
4. Decreases the likelihood of Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s diseases and dementia are memory-related illnesses and can be stalled by learning new languages. A study from Luxembourg found that people who speak more than one language are at lower risk of memory problems saying that multilingualism has a protective effect on memory. It’s also a compounding benefit as people who speak four or more languages are found to have the lowest risk for memory-related illnesses.
Whatever your reasons may be to learn a new language, there is no doubt that the benefits are amazing and definitely worth the trouble. So visit TUTOROO and get started on learning a new language now!