Nowadays, studying at least a foreign language is compulsory in many school systems. However, after graduation, maybe for lack of interest, some people just decide to stop learning languages.
Today I want to list some of the reasons why you should, instead, keep on studying a foreign language:
1. BETTER JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Firstly, studying a foreign language may increase your possibilities of getting a job and of getting higher wages. In fact, nowadays knowing a second language is considered an extra value or a requirement by many working places – i.e. hotels, firms, schools, government.
2. MEMORY IMPROVEMENT
When studying a foreign language you constantly train your brain memorizing new grammatical structures and vocabulary. So, you improve your memory.
3. DEMENTIA AND ALZHEIMER DELAY
Different studies have shown that learning another language delays some brain diseases such as Alzheimer and dementia. Monolinguals generally show the first synthoms of these two diseases four years earlier than people who spoke a second language fluently.
4. NATIVE LANGUAGE IMPROVEMENT
Studying a foreign language oblige you to reflect on grammar and language structures. Since when learning a new language we generally compare the systems of the languages we already know, this can help you improving the knowledge of your native language too.
5. CROSS-CULTURAL AWARNESS
Language and culture are strongly linked to each other. As Saint-Jacques said “a language is like a window to the world of another culture”. So, studying a new language allows you to learn something about the culture of the country in which the language you’re studying is spoken. Moreover, it also allows you to deepen cross-cultural awareness.
6. IMPROVEMENT OF SOME BRAIN AREAS
Finally, it seems that studying a foreign language can also improve some areas of our brain. Indeed, a Swedish research shows that people who have learnt or are learning another language have the hippocampus and three areas in the cerebral cortex which are bigger than those of the ones who haven’t studied or aren’t studying a foreign language.
I would also add that learning a new language is fun, and satisfying, but these are just personal opinions :-)
FREE ONLINE LANGUAGE LEARNING TOOLS FOR STARTING OUT
For the ones of you who have just decided to start learning a new language, here are four free websites that can help you:
http://livemocha.com/
https://www.duolingo.com/
https://www.memrise.com/
http://fsi-languages.yojik.eu/
Are you a language learner? Which language do you study?
Do you know other benefits of learning a foreign language?
Credits
Original image by Hans
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