By Ana Kostova
Learning a foreign language sounds like more efforts on top of all the tasks in our busy everyday lives. However, in many cases learning can be fun and it could contribute to our mental well-being. Moreover, learning a foreign language can happen to bring lots of benefits into one’s life such as improving communication skills, making new friends from other language communities, discovering new cultures and new opportunities on one’s career path.
Mental health benefits
There is scientific evidence that learning processes keep your brain engaged and active. As a result while your mind is busy memorising new words, spelling patterns and idioms in a foreign language, it is less likely that you have negative thoughts that may lead to anxiety or depression. Besides, succeeding in making sentences and understanding conversations in another language can boost your self-confidence. In addition, more scientific research work shows that the more active your brain is, the less chance there is for getting Alzheimer’s disease.
Culture and travelling
No matter what foreign language you start learning, you will definitely discover new aspects of the culture associated to this language as it is universally acknowledged that “language is a reflection of life”, including traditions, customs and habits, religious beliefs and festivals. Equipped with this knowledge you can communicate effectively with native speakers showing respect to their culture. Moreover, your skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing in a language other than your mother tongue will allow you to travel confidently in the respective country as well as order food in local restaurants and create new friendships with local people. Therefore, the experiences and memories in these cases may happen to be unforgettable and less stressful, which is rather a benefit. Furthermore, reading and understanding original pieces of artwork such as novels, short stories as well as films or the lyrics of songs in the original language they were written in, contributes to enriching one’s personality on emotional and spiritual level.
New professional opportunities
Learning a foreign language for fun and as a free-time activity is one thing that influences your self-esteem and transforms the individual into a more sociable and a better understanding person. One can do that by signing up to a variety of language courses delivered both face-to-face and online through various platforms. All this definitely improves one’s communication skills as well as one’s interpersonal skills. For this reason, the level of language command may become an important tool for one’s integration into the community and for becoming a more contributing member of the society. That is why, it is very important for people who moved to live abroad in another country, to be as proficient as possible in the language spoken locally.
In relation to that, there are a number of language training courses offered and funded by the local government in order to enable individuals of foreign background to find a vocational training as well as an appropriate career path in the new country they call their current home. In addition, a large number of young people who plan to study abroad in acknowledged universities such as Harvard, Yale, Cambridge and Oxford Universities, etc., they would go for investing serious efforts in learning a particular foreign language in order to obtain certificates as part of the minimum university admission requirements, for example IELTS, TOEFL, CAE, DaF, etc. Obtaining such certificates may open doors for studying on a degree programme as well as for a new career development. Also, most international companies would conduct their job interviews in the language approved as the official company language which may not be your mother tongue. Here comes the benefit of being proficient in a foreign language as you may land in your dream job.
All in all, it can be easily concluded that no matter what kind of foreign language you will start learning, gaining this knowledge will never be considered a waste of time or effort as it has mostly beneficial effects in one’s life rather than negative ones. Both the personal and professional development of an individual would benefit significantly by learning a language or languages different from one’s mother tongue as it makes you a better understanding person, culturally speaking, and it enhances somebody’s chances to do a fulfilling dream job following a desired career path. Therefore, you can wisely invest your time in learning foreign languages as it will be a rewarding activity for you in terms of one’s mental and social wellbeing. Learn and enjoy!
