Top 10 Reasons to Learn a Language

From improving your job prospects to boosting the size of your brain, language skills could be your fast-track ticket to success. Here are the top 10 reasons to get started!

1. It helps you connect!
A second language gets you bonus points not just in the UK but all around the world. It helps you connect with others. Bilinguals have the ability to connect with a wider range of people in the personal and professional space. We don’t need to tell you that relatability is key in forming relationships and progressing in all aspects of life. Focusing solely on the UK, around 40% of the population can converse in another tongue. Over the continent, more than 50% of the population speak another language, and 1 in 10 get by in three!

2. Languages = extra income
We’re always trying to plan out our next career move but of course, that can take some time. Language skills are perfect for earning an income in the meantime. There’s plenty of scope for freelancing, from translating books for self-published authors to home working via sites such as Upwork or fivesquid. If you like to talk a lot, you could find gigs in tour guiding or interpreting – and once you’ve planned out your next career move, you’re more likely to end up with a high salary!

2. A better shot at employment
This one’s not just about language-specific jobs, such as being a translator – although obviously becoming fluent gives you more options to choose from! It also means you can cast your job search a little wider, with the opportunity to search for jobs in other countries. Not only do language skills make it easier to move abroad, integrate and get around but if you’re surrounded by single-language speakers, lingo skills can push you ahead of the queue for jobs and other similar opportunities.

4. Get more from your travels
Even a few phrases can transform overseas holidays, helping you find your way around, feel at home and stay safe (or ask for help or if you need it). If nothing else, being able to haggle, bargain or be more confident when shopping means you can avoid ‘tourist prices.’ It’s also a great way to make new friends, both at home and away!

5. It opens your mind
Learning a language goes hand-in-hand with discovering its culture – and that can help you gain perspective and give you a more positive view of the world (something we need loads more of right now!). You may find yourself having more appreciation for what you have or may decide you want to change a few things. Either way, being more sensitive to other cultures is a top business skill and can be particularly valuable for anyone involved in dealing with clients, retail or customer service. If you’ve got the skills, make sure they’re on your CV!

6. It boosts your other languages
Discovering how a language works helps you get a handle on the one you already know – especially if you skipped the tricky grammar stuff at school. Once you get into the nuts and bolts of German, Greek or Guarani, subject-verb agreement in your mother tongue starts to make sense, too. Even better, research has shown that learning a second language can make it easier to learn a third or fourth and then, before you know it, you’re this guy.

7. You get a bigger brain
Your brain, just like your biceps or bottom, needs regular workouts if you want to keep it in shape! Learning a language can improve your memory, enhance your ability to multitask, slow brain ageing and could even help delay dementia or Alzheimer’s. It’s never too late (or too early) to learn. the benefits are just as good if you’re 16 or 60 – but if you’re a current student, you might find the brain boost particularly useful.

8. Future proofing
English is a global language, but it’s not the most commonly spoken (that’s Mandarin). Other languages are becoming increasingly desirable for the business world, especially those from growing economies - Portuguese and Arabic, for instance. This doesn’t mean you should limit what language you want to learn. Whilst hundreds of languages are at risk of dying out – even Welsh is now considered ‘endangered’ - learning a disappearing language is not only a way of preserving our collective knowledge but it makes your skills unique, which can prove to be quite valuable in a lot of professional and social settings!

9. More ways to get your kicks
You’re not likely to ever run short of English-language or translated books, films, or games, but a second language gives you even more flavours of fun. With access to art and literature from different regions of the world, you’ll likely find yourself in awe with everything you come across.

10. You find out what makes you tick
Learn a language, and you’ll learn something about yourself. You’ll find out what kind of learner you are, what tools and resources work for you and even what time of the day you’re most productive – all the knowledge you need to hack your productivity elsewhere. There are loads of awesome reasons to load up on language skills but if you’re going to do it right, do it for yourself!