Are you looking for something to enhance your resume? Do you need a new hobby? Do you want to feel more connected to your family heritage? Whatever the question may be, learning a new language will benefit you.

Learning a new language can open up many opportunities in jobs, of any nature. A Forbes article dives into our new reality featuring COVID-19. The job market has slimmed, and remote jobs are becoming the new norm. What exactly does this information tell us? And what can it do for us? Every time I see a new obstacle, such as the pandemic, I think “How can I adapt?” What can I do to be unique? What can I do to create positive change and enhance the situation we are now in? One answer happens to be language learning. With many jobs going remote, many businesses now have the ability to work globally at a more efficient rate and at a much more accessible one at that. You might be going up against candidates who are bilingual, trilingual, etc. These people can help these companies in their growth to global work. As the world faces new issues such as the pandemic, there is a drive for innovation. The key to success, in my words, is the ability to adapt. The longer you wait around and twiddle your thumbs, the more people are filling the position you want. If you think about it everyone wants to be successful, but we all define success differently. The problem doesn’t lie in how we define our success, but it does lie in the ability to follow through to get to a point you consider success.

Yec. (2020, October 26). Council Post: Learning A Second Language: Business Benefits And How To Start A Program. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2020/10/27/learning-a-second-language-business-benefits-and-how-to-start-a-program/

For instance, ask someone at work if they’d take on an extra project on if they were going to get a raise after it. You’ll most likely hear a yes. This is a yes driven by money and the ability to directly see the benefits of their extra work. Now ask them if they’d take on an extra project to gain experience that would allow them to climb the ladder faster in the company. You will hear mixed answers. Why is this? When you give someone an incentive, specifically one such as money, it is easy to see your work paying off. You do this, and you directly receive this. When you do things such as learning another language it can be hard to see how it will directly benefit you. It takes up time, it will most likely cost money, it won’t happen overnight, and it will take dedication. To those of you who say yes, you are embarking on a journey that will open you to a plethora of opportunities. These opportunities may not have specific labels yet and they may not be in reach yet, but you are adapting and adjusting to our ever-changing world. That right there is how you seek success. This is a risk you can take that will do nothing but benefit you.

How does your brain benefit from language learning?

Science Focus tells us that “learning a new language improves brain function, providing better memory, more mental flexibility and creativity, and can even delay the onset of dementia.”

Blackmore, S. (n.d.). What happens in our brain when we learn languages? Retrieved from https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/what-happens-in-our-brain-when-we-learn-languages/

Knowable Magazine delves into the remarkable differences between monolingual and bilingual individuals. It is found that there actually is an “increase in gray matter volume” in people who are bilingual. What is gray matter, and why does it, matter? The brain contains neurons which are specialized cells, that are the brain’s fundamental units. Most neurons have something called a dendrite. BrainFacts states, “Dendrites extend from the neuron cell body and receive messages from other neurons.” Gray matter has to do with the number of dendrites there is within an area of the brain and also how many cell bodies reside in this area. In this research found in Knowable Magazine, you see a comparison between a monolingual and bilingual brain. There is red used to highlight the areas of denser gray matter or a higher number of cells. There is a greater amount of highlighted red in multiple areas of the bilingual brain than there is on the monolingual brain. Having a brain with denser gray matter is a sign that it is in better health.

The Neuron - BrainFacts. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.brainfacts.org/Brain-Anatomy-and-Function/Anatomy/2012/The-Neuron

Skibba, R. (n.d.). How a second language can boost the brain. Retrieved from https://knowablemagazine.org/article/mind/2018/how-second-language-can-boost-brain

Choosing what language you want to learn is all up to you. My advice is to pick a language you are very interested in, and that you will stick to. This is critical because languages are hard to learn. Not hard in the sense that you will take forever to understand them, but hard in the sense that it takes dedication, drive, and endurance. I don’t think you can go wrong with any language you decide, this is your journey to explore and no one else’s.

I have always thought of languages as the perfect mix between mathematics and the arts. Which are two areas I love dearly. I say this because when learning a language there are specific rules you begin with, different pieces you put together to create a sentence or proper syntax. Almost resembling a formula, in my mind. As you progress and the formulas become second nature, you begin to delve into the side of the arts. You begin to create without tediously thinking about the formulas and rules. You reach a point where you find yourself expressing your thoughts, feelings, emotions, and ideas in this language. This to me is art.

Free programs for language learning

Duolingo

Open Culture

Babbel (for one month)

Busuu (for the first lesson)

Paid programs for language learning

Rosetta Stone

College Courses (most universities have a language requirement to graduate)

Babbel (said to be the most affordable)

Once you begin learning a language it helps tremendously to hear it spoken by others. I suggest finding a podcast for beginners in your target language or looking at the news in your target language. This will allow you to see the language being used and will help you adapt to it over time.

Learn about the culture in the places where your target language is spoken. This will help you establish a connection with your target language. Find time for your target language and be thankful for your ability to be able to learn something as beautiful as another language.

I have been learning French since I was twelve, and have taken Arabic in college. As many of you know French is my second language and it is such a big part of who I am. I love learning about the culture in all French-speaking areas, and I love hearing French. It brings me a sense of comfort when I hear it and although it is not my mother tongue it makes me feel so at home. I hope you all decide to take it upon yourselves to learn a new language, or at least give it a fair attempt. Au reviour et bonne chance! XO