Marya
With the globalization of the world, bilingualism is the most useful tool right now. The advantages of learning a new foreign language are blooming. A lot of opportunities come knocking on the door when you acquire a new foreign language. Foreign language study is all about learning how to truly communicate and connect with others—an incredibly important life skill that can only be cultivated by interacting with people.
With the accessibility of the internet, acquiring a course for the same has become very easy. Many sites teach you without asking a penny in return. You can choose your mode of studying based on your preferences like distance learning, beginners’ level, etc. This article is here to tell you the benefits of learning a new language and places you can learn it from. Without further delay, let’s get into the details:
Why Is It Important to Learn a Foreign Language?
1. Learning a foreign language opens up a world of job opportunities
Most of the companies trade in the global market and hence would employ people who can help in communicating and expanding their business. It is no secret how adding a new language to your CV can create so many employment prospects. Since globalization is in full swing, there will be many occasions where English won’t be of much help and you would need some other languages to communicate such as mandarin, French, etc. Being able to communicate in other languages makes you much more valuable to an employer and having that competitive edge on your resume is without a doubt an eye-catcher.
2.Better grades, better social life, and better travel
Learning a new language increases your memory and cognitive performance. People tend to learn the art of multi-tasking because of the ease with which they switch their languages. Able to converse in different language help you in socializing more with people of different ethnicities and culture. Tourism and travel become easier, cheaper, and interesting. Understanding one’s language lets you explore more intricately and gives you a deeper sense of knowledge about the place.
3.Introduction to a new culture and their literature
When learning a new language, you tend to dive into new traditions and cultures. This leads to an exploration of authentic cuisines and local tales. You develop interests in their literature as you become more familiar with their language. It is a whole new literary world and you can explore many amazing works in that.
4.Helps you understand your own culture and language better
This thought seems absurd but is true. Learning a new language pulls up reverse psychology and makes you conscious of your native language. It helps you to better your understanding of the grammar and syntax of your native tongue. You will become much more aware of not only cultural customs, but of the grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation patterns of your first language.
Who isn’t fascinated by the protagonists in the movies who are bilingual and can travel solo and explore?
Most Popular and Useful Foreign Languages to learn:
1. Chinese(Mandarin): It is the most spoken language beating English, having around 1 billion native speakers. Considering the emerging of China as a global power, a nation holding power in politics, trade and business takeovers, the language is going to prove to be an asset in the long run.
2. Spanish and French: These two languages have certainly increased in popularity among people. Spanish is the 2nd most widely spoken language in the united states. It opens doors for different opportunities in Latin and southern America. French has a foothold over 5 continents and is a working UN language.
3. Russian and German: It is the language widely used on the Internet. Due to its increasing population and rising geopolitical influence, it is emerging as an important language for business. It is termed as one of the critical languages by the U.S state department. One of the most frequently spoken languages in Central and East Europe is German. Germany has the highest GDP in Europe, and many are flocking to the country seeking new careers as the reward bonus is high for the language speaker.
Best Language Learning Apps and Sites:
The presence of technology had made many things easier and accessible with just a click on the internet. One can learn a whole new language by sitting in the comfort of their home. Top apps and sites that can help you get your learning journey started are:
a.Duolingo: One of the most popular, free and accessible learning apps is Duolingo. Due to its simple built, ease of access and tons of options, it has over 100 million users. It has a global reach and courses created by native speakers.
b.MemRise– This app is quite good, user friendly and lets you learn a large number of languages. It supports offline courses. The apps teaching approach is different and effective. It uses mixed translations and the use of images and native language.
Other apps/sites include: busuu, Udemy, HelloTalk, etc.
So, what are you waiting for? To all the travel and literary enthusiasts, this might be your new stone to turn and explore. Let’s discuss and share in the community what language you want to learn!
