The power of multilingualism
The world is your oyster
Bonjour. This is a well-known word amongst many of us, but what is the importance of teaching us languages that we do not use in our daily lives?
It is a known fact that learning a language develops great skills such as communication, listening and improving your memory. What else is so good about knowing more than one language?
Have you ever thought about your future prospects? The jobs and opportunities that suddenly become more available to you, if you are a speaker of another language or better still, three languages?
Below are the reasons why investing valuable time in learning a new language may be worth it.
Greater job opportunities
Bilingualism can improve your competitiveness in the job market. You will be a valued candidate for many jobs over someone who speaks one language. The demand for bilingual speakers has more than doubled in the last 5 years.
Your future prospects will be enhanced in many sectors including government, business, medicine, law, technology, military, industry and marketing. The reason is that companies realise that bilingual speakers help to communicate with more clients from different backgrounds and offer the right level of service. Being bilingual helps to expand the companies customer base.
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Global job opportunities
You can become a global asset.
You have a greater advantage in the global market and opportunities abroad will be open to you. Obvious ones might be those that involve the travel and tourism industry, however many companies have international offices and production lines and seek employees that can communicate effectively with customers and clients.
Earn more money
Bilingual and multilingual speakers can expect to earn 5–20% more than monolinguals (people who speak one language) as they are often seen as unique candidates that add more value to a company for their additional skills.
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Higher brain functions
Being bilingual has positive effects on the brain.
According to research, speaking a second language can mean that you have a better attention span and multi-tasking abilities. This is because being bilingual means you are working on two different structures at the same time by constantly switching from one language to the other.
Tests have also shown that you have higher problem-solving skills and mental flexibility allowing you to switch from one concept to another frequently. Further to this, bilinguals possess a stronger working memory due to the nature of the study (memorizing vocabulary and rules) and therefore are able to recall lists, events and sequences better than others.
Protection against health risks
Research has shown that Alzheimer’s disease and dementia develop later in life for speakers of multiple languages. This is due to the constant mental control of operating two or more different languages, which exercises the brain and helps it from degeneration.
Other research has also shown that cognitive impairment is slower for those who speak more than one language compared to those who don't. There is also a lower risk of stroke and faster recovery should one suffer the illness.
Diversity and cultural wisdom
Being multi or bilingual can bring new perspectives on the world, religion and traditions. The study of cultures can boost your confidence and develop your wisdom and understanding of people. You will also become more diverse in your thinking, opinions and interests.
Your travels can also become a more enriching experience as you are able to communicate fluently and manage your own trips without the need of a translator or a book.
Learning a new language is not only rewarding, but has many exciting opportunities and benefits too. You can embark on the journey of becoming a linguist to enhance your career prospects or simply enrich your life through diverse experiences with people of various cultures and backgrounds. Either way, it is well worth considering the study of a new language.