You’re bagging a customer’s groceries at work when someone over your headset asks if anyone speaks Spanish. You do. You finish up with the customer you’re with and head over to the employee who needs assistance.
This gets you brownie points with the front-end manager and when higher-paying positions come up, you’re asked if you would like to move up before any of your other co-workers. Advancing in your career is just one importance of learning a second language. It can shape your entire future if you let it.
To help you decide if you want to learn another language, check out this quick guide to see all of the benefits that would come your way.
1. Connect With Other People and Cultures
Think back to our example in the beginning with the customer. You speak Spanish so unlike your co-worker you’re able to have a full conversation with that customer. Not only do you help them but you’re able to make a connection with that person.
This is a unique ability that most bilingual people have. You can open yourself up and get to really know everyone that’s in your community. On top of coming into contact with people, you have the opportunity to learn about their cultures as well.
You’ll grow a new appreciation for their language, culture, religion, art, and history from either speaking with these people or coming across it while studying the language.
2. You’ll Have More Job Opportunities
Many companies are starting to realize that there is more profit to be found by communicating and working with other countries instead of staying isolated in their own. To do this they need to have employees who can speak the language.
This is where you come in. By being able to put that you’re bilingual on your resume, you up the possibility for it to move to the top of the stack which increases your chances for a callback. This is the case for about any business.
Even retail. On top of it being easier for you to get hired, you will have the potential to get paid more than your co-workers who aren’t bilingual and if someone is sent on a business trip to meet with clients it’s probably going to be you.
3. It Makes Travel Way Easier
Say, you’re traveling abroad for school. You get off your plane late and you just want to get to the hotel. The problem is that you don’t know where the hotel is.
You’d ask around to the locals but everyone you ask speaks a different language than you do. You can cut out some of the headaches if you can ask the locals where you need to go in their language. All you need is a few phrases to be able to do this but the more specific you can get the better.
If you ask where a hotel is you’ll get some answers sure but if you can ask where to get an affordable hotel, you’ll get answers and possible savings.
4. It’s Food for Your Brain
Learning another language is great fuel for your brain. People who can speak more than one language are known to have better memory, stronger problem-solving skills, better listening skills, stronger critical thinking skills, and they can multitask much better.
These brain benefits don’t only apply when you’re young either. Those who learn another language have a lower risk of cognitive decline when they get older.
5. You Become a Better Learner
Once you’ve learned one new language you’ll find that it will be much easier when and if you go to learn another one. Say the first new language that you learn is Spanish. When you practice your Spanish skills you’ll pick up on different types of study skills as well.
You’ll be able to bring these skills over for many things rather it is learning another language or acing your college Economics class.
6. You’ll Be Able to Get a Better Grasp on Your Own Culture
No matter what your culture is, you start to sort of go through the motions after a while. You won’t fully grasp the gravity of your own culture and language until you get an outsider’s perspective on it.
Learning what others think of your culture will allow your mind to expand on it and you’ll start questioning.
7. It’s a Confidence Booster
When you’re learning a new language you’re going to stumble over your words and fumble a lot. The first time you go to a restaurant and tell the waiter that your name is burger instead of telling them you want a burger it’s going to be embarrassing.
You’ll be able to learn from this embarrassment though and after a while, you’ll stop letting your mistakes bother you. You’ll be able to take it in stride and when you do get the phrases correct you’ll feel a huge surge of accomplishment and confidence wash over you.
The Importance of Learning a Second Language and advancing in Your Life
If you’re considering picking up a second language we’re here to tell you to go ahead and start studying. There are are no end to the benefits that you’ll receive when you can write on your resume that you’re fluent.
Consider the importance of learning a second language to see if it’s the path that you want to go down. Open your horizons.
Knowing more than one language can help you in a lot of different career fields. Keep updated with our blog to find out what some of these jobs are.