Learn Another Language
Why learn a foreign language?
There are a wide variety of reasons one might have to learn another language. The benefits of learning another language are also numerous.
Learning another language can obviously teach you how to communicate with a broader spectrum of people around you. However, you do not fully appreciate the indirect aspect of this until you actually learn.
For example, in practical terms, speaking Spanish will also introduce you to some French phrasing and syntax. In a more subtle sense, though, learning the Spanish language will give you a broader understanding of what it is like to be foreign. You'll gain in empathy for others, and it will make your life immeasurably richer.
Broadened Cultural Understanding
When you learn a foreign language, you will more fully appreciate how language and culture are inter-tied. As you find this in another language, you will also appreciate it in your native English. It is one thing to know this in the abstract, but it is different to learn it personally.
For example, even if you study and learn all the terms of French cuisine, you will understand how food is so highly valued in French culture. You will also understand how food is less appreciated (and how this may be a deep reason for some pervasive health problems we have) in North American culture. There are examples like this specific to every language and culture.
You will be able to have richer relationships with people you might never get to know otherwise. If you deal with people of Spanish descent on a regular basis, how much richer will be your interactions with them if you show them that you respect them enough to learn their language, to any degree. The same goes if you are traveling to another country.
Business and Career
Many people undertake study of a foreign language out of necessity. The landscape of American culture is changing rapidly, and if you do not learn and adjust, you may get left behind. Desperation is a good motivator, but it almost always comes too late. On the other hand, logic is not a good motivator – people who study a foreign language "because there's going to be a good market for it," do not often make good learners. We advise that you get interested in another language and its attendant culture then study it when you're interested.
To learn more about the value of learning another language, consult our guide pages on:
- Translation and Interpretation as a career choice.
- Translation and Interpretation: Employment and Income Expectations
- Translation and Interpretation: Training, Qualifications, Related Occupations.
