According to Worlddata.info, there are over 6,500 different languages spoken across the world. And while English ranks on top as the most-spoken language among the crowd, roughly 16% of the global population can speak the language fluently. Here are some Benefits of Learning a Foreign Language.
If you’re eager to interact with the other 84%, learn about their culture and history, or even plan to pursue your higher education or job abroad, knowing other foreign languages is your key to that path.
Now, we agree that the primary purpose fulfilled by learning a new or foreign language is to enable communication. But that’s not all language learning has to offer.
Today, we’re going to explore four major benefits of learning a foreign language. Towards the end, we’ll also talk about some recommendations for French Language Course, German Language Course, Spanish Language Course, and Swedish language courses you can seamlessly learn from the comfort of your home. Let’s get started!
1. Sharpen your brain
The most striking benefit of learning a foreign language – even when you have no immediate use of it – is to sharpen your brain.
But how can a new foreign language do that? While it’s not so much about the language as the process involved in learning it.
Scientists discovered a long time ago how learning a language is a complex cognitive task that involves different networks and regions within our brain:
Broca’s Area: helps with language processing and speech production.
Wernicke’s Area: responsible for language comprehension and understanding.
Auditory Cortex: processes the sounds of language.
Prefrontal Cortex: associated with cognitive control; helps to switch between languages.
Angular Gyrus: plays a key role in written and reading language comprehension.
Hippocampus: involved in memory formation; helps in memorizing the vocabulary and linguistics of the language.
Think of how working out engages all your muscles, thereby making you stronger and healthier. Learning a new language is just like that; an exercise for your brain.
2. Boost your creativity and self-confidence
When you learn a foreign language, you’re also exposed to the culture, ideologies, and concepts of its native speakers.
In fact, many language experts recommend new learners to indulge in the movies, literature, and music of a foreign language to learn it faster. This provides the learners with exposure to the culture of the language speakers. Being exposed to a diversity of ideas and cultures is bound to deepen your creativity.
Knowing a foreign language also broadens your range of communication; you can seamlessly converse with people sitting on the opposite end of the world with ease. Furthermore, it can also improve your memory, attention, and problem-solving skills, thereby making you a more confident person.
3. Become an efficient Multi-tasker!
Did you know that multilingual are better multi-taskers than monolinguals (those who know only one language)? You don’t have to take our word for it, but the renowned Candian psychologist and professor, E. Bialystok, has observed the same in her research.
According to her research, those who know multiple languages have higher cognitive flexibility and demonstrate better attentional control, both of which aid them in multi-tasking.
In the fast-paced world that we’re currently living in, multi-tasking is an invaluable skill that we could all benefit from a great deal. And if you get to hone your multi-tasking meanwhile learning a new language, wouldn’t that just be the perfect win-win situation?
Empower yourself to study/work abroad with FLT!
We’ve talked at length about the various ways in which the experience of learning a foreign language enriches your brain and mental capabilities. But we’re yet to explore the most important – and relevant – benefit of this endeavor: it empowers you to pursue your higher education or apply for a job in abroad!
It is no secret that many of us have grown up with the dream of moving to a different country – for work or for studies. Not merely in search of a better lifestyle and propositions but also to see and understand more of this vast world, to step outside of our comfort zone, embrace true freedom, and build the life of our dreams.
While it takes more than simply learning a language for all that to come true, it could certainly be your first step on that path!
If you’ve decided to enroll in a language-learning course, we’d be happy to assist you with it. At FLT, we offer training and courses in four foreign languages: Spanish, French, German, and Swedish. These are the top choices of most students and young professionals planning to move abroad.
Our language courses will help you achieve expert-level knowledge in these languages within three months. Excited to know more? Reach out to us today!