Everyone learns at least one language from their parents and peers. But learning a second language can be a wise idea, and not just for buffing up your college resume! In fact, there are six key benefits to learning a second language – let’s take a look at those benefits one by one. Then you can investigate how to learn Chinese in the best way that works for you!
1. Cognition Improvements
For starters, learning a second language often yields major cognitive improvements, especially in the long term. Some studies indicate that learning new language results in:
- Improved memory since you have to remember new grammar rules and words.
- Improved multitasking, as multilingual people can frequently switch between different languages, assists with overall multitasking.
- Improved performance in other academia or cognitive tasks simply because learning a new language is difficult!
Put simply, if you want to be smarter and maintain your cognitive flexibility in older age, learning a second language could be the best thing to do. Indeed, learning a language can help to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other cognitive issues that tend to become more likely as you get older. Think of learning a language as keeping your brain nimble and adaptive!
2. Easier Time Seeing the World
Secondly, learning a second language lets, you have a much easier and more relaxed time seeing the world. You can visit Singapore, Mexico, France, Brazil, and many more if you know the right languages to ask for assistance and get around.
Of course, it’s a good idea to learn a second language to relative fluency, or at least be able to communicate decently with people who speak your chosen language as a mother tongue.
For example, if you want to know how to learn Chinese, you’ll be best served by taking a Chinese language program online or hiring a private tutor. That way, you can learn how to speak, read, and write Chinese fluently, and you can navigate Chinese-speaking countries easily without worrying about offending anyone!
Bottom line: when you learn a second language, you can see the world and communicate with its many inhabitants without having to rely on English, a clunky dictionary, or Google Translate!
3. Career Boosts
On top of that, learning a second language may result in major career boosts, especially if you learn a language spoken frequently at work. Say that you do a lot of business with international customers who speak Spanish or Chinese.
Learning Spanish or Chinese could allow you to:
- Develop better relationships with those international businesspeople
- Speak to your coworkers on a more even level
- Show that you value their language and culture instead of forcing them to speak to you in English or your mother tongue.
On top of that, many big businesses only promote people who can speak multiple languages so they can deal with many different people around the world. In this way, learning another language bolsters your career prospects long after you graduate from college!
4. Connect with More People
Additionally, if you learn a second language, you’ll be able to connect with more people around the world. This is an invaluable benefit in and of itself.
In many ways, being able to speak another language helps you make friends, even if they don’t speak your own mother tongue fluently or at all. But when you connect with more people, you form more friendships, business relationships, and acquaintances, plus generally broaden your social network. That’s always a good thing, whether you are looking for social fun or future career opportunities.
5. Understand Your Own Language Better
When you learn a second language, odds are you’ll understand your own language a lot better by the end of your process. Why?
Say that you want to know how to learn Chinese. By the end, you’ll have a better understanding of the grammar rules and quirks of your own tongue in relation to the language you chose to learn.
Understanding your own language better will make you a better speaker and writer of that language, which can also help with your career prospects, help you with communicating with others, etc.
6. Gain New Perspectives
Last but not least, learning another language allows you to gain valuable new perspectives. In other words, it increases your empathy.
This is an invaluable gift, especially if you plan to travel the world frequently or if you want to do business with many different people around the globe. Empathy is important for your everyday life and for forging long-term relationships with many different people.
Wrapping Up
All in all, learning any new language can provide you with numerous cognitive and social advantages. Plus, if you learn a complex and vastly different language from your mother tongue, like Chinese, if you are an English speaker, you’ll gain even more benefits thanks to its challenge. Consider looking for a great language learning program online today!Â