Why Learn a New Language

Around 983 Billion people on Earth speak English. More people speak English as their second language, than native speakers, so the number of English speakers account for around 20 percent of the population of the world, you may ask if it is so widely spoken, why would I have to learn a new language if 1 in 10 people speak English? That question can easily be answered. Here are a few reasons why you should learn a second, or a third, language now:

Opening Yourself Up to the World Outside English-Speaking Countries

For example, English is NOT the worlds most spoken language; Mandarin is the most spoken language, it is spoken by 1.5 Billion people worldwide, mainly in China, but also in minority groups throughout Europe and North America. And Spanish is spoken by 527 million people, by learning one of these languages, you are opening yourself up to new countries, and new people that you could meet! You even could potentially meet the love of your life just by knowing another language, or make long lasting friendships with other people, as there is a huge world outside the English speaking countries.

Learning a New Language Can be Fun

Also, learning another language can be fun! You don't have to sit down with books and paper, you could use other marvellous tools like Duolingo or Memrise, so learning a language doesn't have to be dreadfully boring.

Get A Leg Up in Your Career Path

Learning a new language can also give you a leg up in your career path, as employers are constantly looking for employees who can speak other languages. A person who speaks more languages than their native tongue are more likely to get the job over someone who doesn't, furthermore, your salary could be increased as you are a valued employee! You could also work as a translator, or a job that is primarily language-related such as helping tourists around your city!

Helps You Converse with the Locals and Avoid Scams

If you ever want to travel to a country like France or Italy, it's a sure thing that not everybody is going to understand English, by learning a bit of their language can help you converse with the locals. Furthermore, if you do speak the language of the other country you are in, you are way less likely to experience scams from currency conversion rates, which will save you a lot of money. Tourists are easy pickings for scammers as there will be a lot of miscommunication. You could also haggle with some stores to save yourself some money in a country, as tourists are mostly charged higher than the locals.

Physical Benefits for the Body

Learning a new language also has physical benefits for the body, for example, someone who speaks two or more languages is significantly less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than monolinguals. Learning a new language also helps develop your knowledge of your own native language as well, and helps you see all the structures of your own language compared to another. Learning another language also provides cognitive benefits, such as improving your memory, longer attention span. Learning another language is imperative for better health!

A Great Way to View New Art

Learning another language is also a great way to view new art, such as famous novels, movies, and art; by learning another language you could experience the wonders of poets, playwrights, and musicians. This will make you feel included in a vast culture. There are also many foreign movies that you may enjoy, as subtitles don't always express what the actors are saying and feeling, so understanding the language will help you understand the film more.

Another Way of Seeing the World

Lastly, learning a new language helps you see into another culture, another way of seeing the world, and can help you see the world from the point of another culture of view, whether it be idioms or phrases, and how people greet each other, it's all fascinating.