{"id":3333,"date":"2022-03-24T11:59:16","date_gmt":"2022-03-24T09:59:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/?p=3333"},"modified":"2022-05-09T14:36:13","modified_gmt":"2022-05-09T11:36:13","slug":"20-amazing-benefits-of-learning-a-second-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/education\/3333\/20-amazing-benefits-of-learning-a-second-language\/","title":{"rendered":"20 Amazing Benefits of Learning a Second Language"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the age-old saying goes, \u2018it\u2019s never too late to learn something new\u2019. And when it comes to today\u2019s global society, learning a second language could prove to be a huge advantage. Not only has it been proven to improve your brain health, but it also boosts your career prospects and opens you up to new experiences.<\/p>\n

Here are 20 amazing benefits of learning a foreign language and how it can improve your career and overall wellbeing.<\/p>\n

1. It widens job opportunities<\/h2>\n

Being bilingual in today\u2019s crowded job market can be incredibly beneficial. It gives you a competitive edge when searching for new opportunities or within your current career. If you speak a second language over an equally qualified candidate, the hiring manager will probably choose you, as you have the added bonus of speaking an additional language. Most companies deal with foreign clients and suppliers and, therefore, need people in-house who can communicate with them in their native tongue.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0It boosts brain power<\/h2>\n

When learning something new, our brains need to cope with the complexity as it absorbs and makes sense of new patterns, thus developing key\u00a0communication skills<\/a>\u00a0(such as cognitive thinking and\u00a0problem solving<\/a>) that are needed to digest and remember fresh information.<\/p>\n

3. It expands chances to travel<\/h2>\n

Learning a new language will encourage you to travel to cities or countries where that language is spoken to practice with the locals. Take Spanish, for example; it\u2019s the main language in over 20 countries. You could, therefore, visit those countries and comfortably communicate with the natives.<\/p>\n

4. It improves your first language skills<\/h2>\n

During our day-to-day tasks, we rarely give a second thought to our own vocabulary and grammatical rules. We are confident in our capabilities and often ignore common practices. As we learn a new language, we focus on these constructions of the language, making us think about what they are in our mother tongue.<\/p>\n

5. It increases your understanding of the world<\/h2>\n

Learning a new language gives you a greater global understanding of the world. You will instantly have access to foreign books, films, TV programs and newspapers, which will give you a real insight into the history and culture of a nation. This, ultimately, gives you an indication of how the world works, including politics and security.<\/p>\n

6. It allows you to experience new cultures<\/h2>\n

Learning a new language opens up a whole new world of opportunities \u2014 the main one being able to experience new cultures. You will have the chance to see new things from a different perspective and be able to connect with people across the world. You get to learn what\u2019s fashionable within a culture, including music, style, history and literature. This, in turn, will help you grow as a person and appreciate things that you wouldn\u2019t have noticed before.<\/p>\n

7. It\u2019s an achievement in itself<\/h2>\n

Learning something new is an achievement in itself. It teaches you how to organize and grow your knowledge, resulting in an additional\u00a0skill on your CV<\/a>. With your newfound confidence of knowing another language, you\u2019ll be more comfortable and geared up to learn another.<\/p>\n

8.\u00a0It improves your memory<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s common knowledge that the more you use your brain, the better it works. Learning a new language gives your memory a good workout in the brain gym. In other words, it constantly tests your ability to remember and think quickly. According to an article in the\u00a0New York Times<\/a>, \u2018the collective evidence from a number of studies suggests that the bilingual experience improves the brain\u2019s so-called executive function \u2014 a command system that directs the attention processes that we use for planning, solving problems and performing various other mentally demanding tasks.\u2019<\/p>\n

9. It enhances your ability to multitask<\/h2>\n

Multitasking<\/a>\u00a0can be difficult for some people to manage and do well. According to a study from the\u00a0Penn State University<\/a>, people who are multilingual and proficient at slipping from one language system to another are practiced at this very demanding work for the brain. Those who have developed the ability to think in different languages and move from one to the other become much better multitaskers,\u00a0reducing stress levels<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

10. It sharpens the mind<\/h2>\n

Bilingual people are\u00a0critical thinkers<\/a>. They have to develop a discipline while studying to allow them to become more perceptive. This, conversely, allows them to better observe their surroundings and spot misleading information that they would have not previously paid attention to.<\/p>\n

11.\u00a0It enhances your decision-making skills<\/h2>\n

Do you spend hours deliberating over what to eat for lunch? Or which shoes you should buy? If so, learning a new language might make you a little more decisive. Researchers from\u00a0Pompeu Fabra University<\/a>\u00a0in Barcelona suggest that using a foreign language provides people some emotional distance, which effectively allows them to take the more utilitarian action.<\/p>\n

12.\u00a0It improves performance in other academic areas<\/h2>\n

Language skills boost your ability to do well in problem-solving tasks across the board. Students who study foreign languages\u00a0tend to score better on standardized tests\u00a0than their monolingual peers, particularly in the categories of math, reading and vocabulary. This is due to their ability to concentrate and multitask better than their classmates.<\/p>\n

13. It increases networking skills<\/h2>\n

Learning a new language will make you more culturally aware, which, in turn, will allow you to be more flexible and appreciative of other\u2019s opinions and facts. You\u2019ll be able to move through different groups of people and make connections across the board.\u00a0Networking<\/a>\u00a0is such a vital part of today\u2019s working world and being able to communicate in someone\u2019s native tongue is impressive.<\/p>\n

14.\u00a0Your brain gets bigger<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s been proven that your brain structure actually increases when a second language is acquired. Research from the\u00a0Georgetown University Medical Center<\/a>\u00a0found that bilingual speakers who use both languages often may have more gray matter in the brain regions responsible for attention, inhibition and short-term memory.<\/p>\n

15.\u00a0It stalls dementia and Alzheimer\u2019s<\/h2>\n

Dementia and Alzheimer\u2019s are inevitable for some elderly people \u2014 no matter what you do. However, studies have shown that those who speak a second language can stall these diseases by four years, at least. I know it doesn\u2019t seem like a lot, but for those around you, it certainly will be of great importance to them if they can avoid seeing you suffer for a number of years. Researcher\u00a0Suvarna Alladi<\/a>\u00a0says that \u2018speaking more than one language is thought to lead to\u00a0better development of the areas of the brain\u00a0that handle executive functions and attention tasks, which may help protect from the onset of dementia.\u2019<\/p>\n

16.\u00a0It builds self-confidence<\/h2>\n

Learning new skills<\/a>\u00a0will boost your confidence as you\u2019ll be more attractive to potential employers. Studying a foreign language is no different; you\u2019ll be more interesting if you\u2019re able to speak two or more languages fluently.<\/p>\n

17.\u00a0You get to make new connections<\/h2>\n

Depending on where you\u2019re learning the language, you\u2019ll most likely meet new people and make good connections. These learners will also be on the same wavelength as you and you\u2019ll most likely share similar interests. What\u2019s more, you can widen your opportunities by speaking to natives while traveling.<\/p>\n

18.\u00a0It boosts your creativity<\/h2>\n

Learning a second language will force you to reach for alternative words when you can\u2019t remember the original one you wanted; this helps boost your creativity and makes you experiment with new words and phrases. You\u2019ll be more accustomed to thinking outside of the box and finding alternative solutions to complex problems.<\/p>\n

19. It increases your ability to learn more languages<\/h2>\n

Did you know being that bilingual improves your ability to learn additional languages? Indeed, a\u00a0study by the University of Haifa<\/a>\u00a0found that bilingual speakers have an easier time learning new languages compared to those who only speak one language. Languages reinforce one another other, researchers noted, and provide you with the necessary foundations to understand syntactic, phonetic and morphological rules across a wide spectrum of languages.<\/p>\n

20. You become more empathetic<\/h2>\n

Not only does learning a new language expand your understanding of the world, but it also allows you to become a more empathetic individual. Being able to communicate with others in different languages opens you up to a range of different perspectives, cultures and experiences, all of which enrich your emotional intelligence and empathy for those around you.<\/p>\n

Final thoughts<\/strong><\/p>\n

Whether your goal is to learn one more language, or ten, the benefits are undeniable. Not only will this sharpen your intellectual and academic acumen, but it will also enhance your employability.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s never too late to learn something new, and with countless resources and platforms available at your fingertips, learning another language has never been easier. All you need is the motivation and determination to get started!<\/p>\n

Source: Joanna Zambas\u00a0careeraddict<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the age-old saying goes, \u2018it\u2019s never too late to learn something new\u2019. And when it comes to today\u2019s global society, learning a second language could prove to be a<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3334,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1,125],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n20 Amazing Benefits of Learning a Second Language - Study Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/education\/3333\/20-amazing-benefits-of-learning-a-second-language\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"20 Amazing Benefits of Learning a Second Language - Study Guide\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As the age-old saying goes, \u2018it\u2019s never too late to learn something new\u2019. And when it comes to today\u2019s global society, learning a second language could prove to be a\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/education\/3333\/20-amazing-benefits-of-learning-a-second-language\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Study Guide\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-03-24T09:59:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-05-09T11:36:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/prof-skills-two-language.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"700\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"studyguide\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"studyguide\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/education\/3333\/20-amazing-benefits-of-learning-a-second-language\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/education\/3333\/20-amazing-benefits-of-learning-a-second-language\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"studyguide\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/#\/schema\/person\/3e59656636d2acc7afe0ed6b7909f850\"},\"headline\":\"20 Amazing Benefits of Learning a Second Language\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-03-24T09:59:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-05-09T11:36:13+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/education\/3333\/20-amazing-benefits-of-learning-a-second-language\/\"},\"wordCount\":1477,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"\u0395\u03ba\u03c0\u03b1\u03af\u03b4\u03b5\u03c5\u03c3\u03b7\",\"\u03a3\u03c5\u03bc\u03b2\u03bf\u03c5\u03bb\u03ad\u03c2\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/education\/3333\/20-amazing-benefits-of-learning-a-second-language\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/education\/3333\/20-amazing-benefits-of-learning-a-second-language\/\",\"name\":\"20 Amazing Benefits of Learning a Second Language - Study Guide\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2022-03-24T09:59:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-05-09T11:36:13+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/education\/3333\/20-amazing-benefits-of-learning-a-second-language\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/education\/3333\/20-amazing-benefits-of-learning-a-second-language\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/education\/3333\/20-amazing-benefits-of-learning-a-second-language\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"20 Amazing Benefits of Learning a Second Language\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/\",\"name\":\"Study Guide\",\"description\":\"Study Guide\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/#organization\",\"name\":\"StudyGuide.gr\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/studyguide-logo-new-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/studyguide-logo-new-1.png\",\"width\":300,\"height\":98,\"caption\":\"StudyGuide.gr\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/#\/schema\/person\/3e59656636d2acc7afe0ed6b7909f850\",\"name\":\"studyguide\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/36434f07029bf6cbb45b01a3fdbed9af?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/36434f07029bf6cbb45b01a3fdbed9af?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"studyguide\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/author\/studyguide\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"20 Amazing Benefits of Learning a Second Language - Study Guide","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/education\/3333\/20-amazing-benefits-of-learning-a-second-language\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"20 Amazing Benefits of Learning a Second Language - Study Guide","og_description":"As the age-old saying goes, \u2018it\u2019s never too late to learn something new\u2019. And when it comes to today\u2019s global society, learning a second language could prove to be a","og_url":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/education\/3333\/20-amazing-benefits-of-learning-a-second-language\/","og_site_name":"Study Guide","article_published_time":"2022-03-24T09:59:16+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-05-09T11:36:13+00:00","og_image":[{"width":700,"height":400,"url":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/prof-skills-two-language.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"studyguide","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"studyguide","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/education\/3333\/20-amazing-benefits-of-learning-a-second-language\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/education\/3333\/20-amazing-benefits-of-learning-a-second-language\/"},"author":{"name":"studyguide","@id":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/#\/schema\/person\/3e59656636d2acc7afe0ed6b7909f850"},"headline":"20 Amazing Benefits of Learning a Second Language","datePublished":"2022-03-24T09:59:16+00:00","dateModified":"2022-05-09T11:36:13+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/education\/3333\/20-amazing-benefits-of-learning-a-second-language\/"},"wordCount":1477,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/#organization"},"articleSection":["\u0395\u03ba\u03c0\u03b1\u03af\u03b4\u03b5\u03c5\u03c3\u03b7","\u03a3\u03c5\u03bc\u03b2\u03bf\u03c5\u03bb\u03ad\u03c2"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/education\/3333\/20-amazing-benefits-of-learning-a-second-language\/","url":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/education\/3333\/20-amazing-benefits-of-learning-a-second-language\/","name":"20 Amazing Benefits of Learning a Second Language - Study Guide","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/#website"},"datePublished":"2022-03-24T09:59:16+00:00","dateModified":"2022-05-09T11:36:13+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/education\/3333\/20-amazing-benefits-of-learning-a-second-language\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/education\/3333\/20-amazing-benefits-of-learning-a-second-language\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/education\/3333\/20-amazing-benefits-of-learning-a-second-language\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"20 Amazing Benefits of Learning a Second Language"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/#website","url":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/","name":"Study Guide","description":"Study Guide","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/#organization","name":"StudyGuide.gr","url":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/studyguide-logo-new-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/studyguide-logo-new-1.png","width":300,"height":98,"caption":"StudyGuide.gr"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/#\/schema\/person\/3e59656636d2acc7afe0ed6b7909f850","name":"studyguide","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/36434f07029bf6cbb45b01a3fdbed9af?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/36434f07029bf6cbb45b01a3fdbed9af?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"studyguide"},"url":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/author\/studyguide\/"}]}},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3333"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3333"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3333\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3335,"href":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3333\/revisions\/3335"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3334"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/studyguide.gr\/sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}