The Importance and Advantages of Learning a Second Language

Here is a discussion about the importance of learning a second language, along with its advantages.

The world we live in has relatively few continents, yet it contains a myriad diversity of populations speaking a myriad of languages. Increasing urbanization, international commerce, tourism, business travel and modern technology have led most countries to embrace the concept of a multicultural society — and a globalized multicultural society must also be a multilingual one. Even though the US regards itself as the world's melting pot, it has very low levels of second-language proficiency; most students study only English, or begin a second language at a stage when true proficiency is hard to reach. Meanwhile the need only grows: the inflow of immigrants of Hispanic origin, for example, has created great demand for Spanish translators and interpreters, and the same is true of many other languages.

Cognitive and Academic Benefits

The importance of learning a second language goes well beyond communicating with speakers of other tongues. Studies show that learners achieve greater divergent thinking, creativity and cognitive development than monolingual children, and tend to outscore single-language peers on tests of verbal and nonverbal intelligence. A second language also enhances academic skills, improving abilities in mathematics, writing and reading. Interestingly, studying another language deepens the understanding of one's own: general language skills improve, and learners gain a clearer sense of how language shapes thought. Adaptability increases too, because facing unfamiliar ideas and ideologies while learning a language teaches one to adapt to diversity.

A Window into Culture

Language is one of the main components of a people's civilization and culture, so learning a second language is a wonderful way of absorbing another culture — a peephole into a nation's traditions and history. As the Italian film director Federico Fellini put it, "A different language is a different vision of life." Intercultural insensitivity leads to misunderstanding, while a multilingual person can act as a bridge between two distinct cultures and even promote world peace. True appreciation of art and literature also depends on it: the original form of an expression is often lost in translation, so accessing a literary work in its own language allows an exact interpretation.

Educational, Professional and Personal Advantages

Knowing a foreign language can also open doors. Certain colleges require two years of high school foreign language study for admission, and some expect reading knowledge of another language so students can read research in non-English books and journals. In the workplace, businesses must deal with worldwide clients of varied cultures, and fields such as travel, communications, advertising, education and engineering increasingly require employees who can interact across languages — so a second language improves employment prospects and the chances of excelling in business. On a personal level, when travelling or studying abroad, being able to communicate with local people makes life easier, broadens your horizons and opens doors to new friendships, whereas not sharing a language can bar communication entirely.

Learning a second language, therefore, can challenge your mind and enrich your soul: beyond conversing with people in their own language, it teaches understanding, tolerance and patience. As immigration, communication, business and transportation bring people ever closer, the world becomes a smaller place — and by learning another language we can understand each other better and treat each other with more empathy and consideration.