So What are the Second Language Benefits?
Some Reasons to learn a Foreign Language
The list showing the most obvious of second language benefits is continued and we try our best to explain each one and be as convincing as possible.
If there are some reasons to learn a foreign language that are not listed here, then please feel free to e-mail us and maybe we can add your ideas to our list.
4. Study/research
Now this one will obviously not be important for the majority, but for some people it can be a decisive difference. I have a friend who was conducting research into sports in South east Asia—specifically Laos—as part of his PhD. As you can imagine the libraries were pretty limited in that respect (especially regarding a communist country like Laos) so his research was slow. However he had a strong foundation in the Laos language (he had lived there for a while) and after a few months of further study he was profficient enough to study in the Laos government archives. This obviously gave him a thousand-fold more material than he had previously. Learning the language had opened vast doors of research material that would otherwise have remained unknown.
5. School/college admission
This is probably a fairly easy one. In most English speaking countries (especially America), schools that have stiff entrance competition will most surely choose a bilingual student over a unilingual one all else being equal. This is the way of the modern world, learning a second language is one of the criteria that will put you ahead of the rest.
There are, of course, also many study abroad opportunities for students these days. The majority of students choose to go to other English speaking countries as this makes life easy. However the competition for these can be fierce and having knowledge of another language would certainly increase your destination possibilities and therefore your chances of study.
6. Improve Native Language Skills
It is a well documented fact that learning a second language makes a person better at his first language. This is very simply because learning a second language makes you take notice of how language itself is structured. When you learned your own language, you just picked it up as you grew up, you learned the rules through use and probably never really took notice of written grammar rules. However when you learn a foreign language you have to look at each of these things, you begin to understand the structure of language and of words, and this helps you look at your own language with more respect. You can't fail to get better.
7. Sharpen cognitive (thinking) skills
It has been shown through extensive scientific research that learning a second language makes you smarter. This is not only in the area of language but in all areas. Although this sounds hard to believe, it has been shown in many different studies that students who learn a second language become better in all aspects of academic life including, as hard to believe as it may sound, mathematics. Apparently the continual act of learning a language exercises many parts of your brain, leading to a general increase in overall intelligence.
This of course should not be left to the young students alone. Learning a second language is one of the best exercises for the brain available and may well delay the onset of dementia.
8. Family & friends
In this day and age, many people may have friends or even family members who are not native English speakers. Maybe you have a foreign partner and foreign inlaws, or you have friends for whom English is not the first language. Imagine being able to talk to your in-laws, your friends, or your friend's family in their own language. The respect you would get from them and the problems that would be overcome would be immense. Not to mention of course being able to understand when your mother-in-law is talking about you—priceless.
9. Emigration
I find it surprising these days how many people choose to completely move their lives and live abroad—outside of their home countries (although i shouldn't be surprised as i did it). Many people fron the UK and people from Australia seem to swap over and live in each others' countries. As do Americans and Canadians. There are, however (me included), millions of people who decide to live in a country that is not an English speaking one. Learning the language of these countries will for certain make life infinitely easier. It is true that living in a country is the best way to learn the language, but learning some before you get there is a great start.
10. Culture & food
Possibly not the first on your average person's list on why to learn a second language, but food and culture are still good reasons nonetheless. The US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and every English speaking country in the world is a hotbed of food and culture mixes. Every city boasts Chinese, Indian, Thai, Mexican, italian, Japanese, and many other types of food. Learning a little of the languages of these places can be great fun when going to restaurants and very useful when ordering from a local menu.
There are other places when language can help you appreciate culture. Foreign films can be enjoyed much more in the native language. Foreign music can be appreciated when the lyrics are understood, and the cultural identity of a nation is better appreciated through their own language.
11. Opposite sex?
I guess i have to address this reason as I mentioned it on the previous page. Let's be honest, which of us has not seen the movie, or the guy in real life, who seduces the girl using little more than a few phrases of italian or Spanish or Greek. Knowing a foreign language shows intelligence, perseverance, style and a certain amount of mystique. If the other person can't understand you then she doesn't know you are talking complete rubbish.
Let's be honest there are no downsides to learning a second language other than a little hardwork and some time yet the benefits are enormous. If you are looking for some reasons to learn a foreign language then just turn on the TV, read a book, or search the web; the second language benefits are immense.
Go on do it - learn a second language today.