In a globalised world, where people have more freedom of movement, learning a language is a wonderful benefit. Not only does it help when travelling, it is also a great advantage for studying in general and for career prospects abroad. Acquiring a new language enables us to develop various mental skills.
Increases your cerebral skills
A foreign language is a new intricate system of rules, structures, and lexis. Learning a new language means your brain has to cope with complexity as it makes sense of and absorbs new patterns. As our brains work out the meaning of new words, and attempts
to communicate, we develop key learning skills such as cognitive thinking and problem solving. Highly developed critical thinking skills are a significant benefit both personally and professionally.
In addition, our memory is improved. The more the brain is used, the better its functions work. A new language requires not only familiarity with vocabulary and rules, but also being able to recall and apply this knowledge. Learning a language is like giving your brain a good work out in the gym. It is felt that multilingual people have brains that are more exercised and can recall data more quickly.
It is also believed that multilingual people are better at observing their surroundings. They easily spot information that is irrelevant, deceptive or misleading. People who have developed the ability to think in different languages and move from one to the other become much better multi-taskers, reducing stress levels. They are also better and more confident when it comes to making decisions. In essence, language learning keeps your brain healthy.
Our first language is improved
Learning a new language makes you more conscious of your own language. Vocabulary, grammar, conjugation, comprehension, idioms and sentence structure become everyday phrases, whereas your own language is probably absorbed more intuitively. Learning a new language also makes you a better listener as you are used to having to interpret meaning and judge nuances.
Improves performance in other academic areas
Studies show that the benefits of learning a new language include higher scores in exams in Maths, Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary by multilingual students compared to the scores of monolingual students. Acquiring language skills increase your ability to do well in problem-solving tasks in various subjects.
Increases Networking Skills
Opening up to a culture allows you to be more flexible and appreciative of other people’s opinions and actions. As a result, if you are multilingual, you have the advantage of seeing the world from different viewpoints, enhancing your ability to communicate in today’s globally connected world.
Provides Better Career Choices
Many employers feel that having multilingual employees add value to the workforce and that recruiting team members with language skills is important to their organisation. A multilingual ability is definitely a competitive edge in today’s world.
Overall
There are only benefits to learning a new language. It helps develop strong cognitive skills, such as better concept formation, mental flexibility, multitasking, listening skills and problem-solving, in addition to improving social interaction and encouraging connection between peers.
What new language will you choose to learn?
Adrian Mather – Corporate Director, Cambridge School
