Why should you consider learning a second language? What will it really do for you? Here are 12 surprising benefits. 12 Surprising Be...
Why should you consider learning a second language? What will it really do for you? Here are 12 surprising benefits.
Why should you learn a second language?
There are several obvious reasons. It’s fun and it allows
you to communicate with people from other countries. If you’re going to travel
abroad, you probably need at least basic language skills.
But there are a number of other surprisingly powerful
benefits from learning a second language. Most people are unaware of these
benefits.
If you need yet another reason to study a second language,
pay attention. You’re about to discover 12 surprising benefits of studying a
second language.
BENEFIT #1: It Forces You To Think
Deeply
Learning a second language forces you to think in new ways.
You’re forced to grapple with grammar rules, word meaning, prefixes, suffixes,
and a host of other new challenges. This sustained thinking develops your
ability to think deeply, express concepts in new ways, and solve problems from
new angles. Learning a second language teaches to you to think in ways you’ve
never traditionally done.
BENEFIT #2: Your Ability To Switch
Between Tasks Is Increased
Switching between tasks can be hugely challenging if you’re
not used to it. It requires disengaging from one activity, switching to a new
mindset, and then fully engaging in a different activity.
When you learn a second language, you become much more
proficient at switching between tasks and the toll on your productivity is
significantly minimized.
BENEFIT #3: Your Brain Becomes More
Resistant To Dementia and Alzheimer’s
Believe it or not, learning a second language can
significantly delay the onset of brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia.
This has been proven in several multilingual studies.
Alzheimer’s is one of the leading killers in the United
States and is a terrible disease. It is, essentially, a slow death. Being able
to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s for even a year is significant, but for 4.5
years is an enormous benefit.
BENEFIT #4: Memory Is Significantly
Improved
Memory is, in many ways, like a muscle. It is strengthened
by working out. One unfortunate downside of the internet is that it has
significantly weakened our memories.
We can simply search for whatever we want with zero need to remember anything.
Learning a second language forces you to work your memory on
a regular basis. It forces you to think hard about things and to store things
in your short term and long term memory.
The Journal Of Experimental Psychology reported that
bilingual children consistently outperform monolingual children in tasks
requiring working memory.
If you find your memory slipping, making the effort to learn
a second language can be a huge step in the right direction.
BENEFIT #6: Intelligence Is Increased
This sounds like infomercial hype, but there is legitimate
scientific researching backing this benefit. It turns out that learning a
second language has been shown to raise overall intelligence levels and reading levels.
This has broad implications. If you just want to be
generally smarter (and who doesn’t?), you should consider learning a new
language. And, if you or your child struggles with reading, adopting a second
language can be a powerful boost.
No, learning a second language won’t turn you into a genius,
but it can up your overall intelligence levels.
BENEFIT #7: Decision Making Skills
Are Improved
One of the biggest hindrances to making good decisions is
biases. Our biases cloud our judgment and can lead us to choose poorly when
presented with a multitude of options.
Learning a second language has been shown to reduce our
“heuristic biases”, which is one of the key factors in decision making. In
other words, when we are presented with a series of choices, we are less
reliant on our inherent (and often faulty) biases. Instead, we are able to
choose based more on logic than gut feelings.
Heuristics are the series of simple rules we use to evaluate
decisions. These consist of mental shortcuts that focus on a single issue of a
complex problem and ignore other factors. For example, when asked if more
English words begin with “K” or have “K” as the third letter, we instinctively
choose the first option because it’s easy to think of words that begin with
“K”. In reality, there are three times as many words with “K” as the third
letter, demonstrating that our heuristics are helpful but often misleading.
Learning a second language forces you to think more
carefully through problems, which in turn reduces your vulnerability to your
instinctive, heuristic biases.
If you regularly find yourself making poor choices, learning
a second language could be a lifesaver.
BENEFIT #8: Your Primary Language
Skills Are Improved
One of the side benefits of learning a second language is
that your primary language skills are also improved. Studying a second language
forces you to think through things like vocabulary, conjugation, conversation,
idioms, and a host of other things that we rarely think about when speaking our
primary language.
Often, a person learning a second language becomes much more
attuned to the nuances of the first language. They pick up on subtle things
they never would have seen before and often develop a deeper understanding of
the language.
While this may not be high on your language priority list,
it certainly is a significant benefit.
BENEFIT #9: Increased Skill In Other
Subject Matters
Interestingly, studying languages seems to increase other
academic abilities such as mathematics. Studies have shown that individuals
with a second language tend to perform better on standardized testing like the
SAT.
If you want to improve your mathematical ability, one
surprising way to do it may be by learning a second language.
BENEFIT #10: Deeper Understanding Of
Other Cultures
We often fail to realize how much our language influences
our view of the world and other people. Immersing yourself in a foreign
language opens new vistas and viewpoints. It allows you to understand other
perspectives and embrace views other than your own.
Additionally, when you spend months learning about another
culture, it’s difficult to be prejudiced against that culture. Suffice to say,
one way to increase compassion and inclusiveness in the world would be to have
everyone study a second language.
BENEFIT #11: Increased Career Options
We are increasingly living in a multicultural world.
Companies open offices overseas, and remote jobs with foreign companies are
being created. The need for bilingual individuals is greater than ever.
Learning a second language can, in many ways, double the
number of career options available to you. You literally expand your job pool
by multiple countries. Additionally, learning a second language can allow you
to climb the career ladder faster. Positions within your company that were
previously unavailable suddenly are within reach.
BENEFIT #12: Better Concentration
Skills
Learning a second language has been shown to significantly
improve a person’s ability to concentrate, particularly in environments with
many stimuli (think school, dorm, etc.). The reason for this may surprise you.
When speaking, bilinguals are constantly juggling two languages in their heads.
The primary language is activated and the secondary language must be
suppressed.
In other words, knowing two languages increases a person’s
ability to concentrate on one thing and ignore irrelevant information.
If you struggle with concentration, consider learning a
second language!
Conclusion
Learning a second language is beneficial on so many levels.
It increases your intelligence, improves your understanding of the world, and
opens up new career options for you. It improves your cognitive skills and
helps you be more sympathetic to other cultures.
Frankly, this is one of those subjects that has very little
downside and tremendous upside. In addition to the benefit of learning a second
language, you become a much more rounded person.
Do you see the power of a second language? Now’s the time to
get started learning one.