It is a perfect time to immerse yourself in a new language and culture.
Besides the cognitive advantages and practical reasons, learning a second language brings with it a massive amount of benefits. It’s effective and rewarding and it’ll change you in ways you probably didn’t imagine (for the better, of course!).
Let’s look at why you should consider picking up some new conversation skills over the summer:
1. Create New Connections
…and international friendships! Being able to connect with other people has to be one of the most important payoffs of learning a language. It improves your social interaction and encourages connection between peers. From networking with locals to making new friends who don’t speak your native language, you’ll definitely have the advantage of seeing the world from different perspectives. Thus, enhancing your ability to communicate in today’s globally connected world and understanding different cultures.
2. Enhance Your Travel Experience
Knowing a few basic phrases of the native language of the country you’ll be visiting will give you the best holiday and an authentic local experience. Not only that, it’ll even make you stand out from the crowd. The most effective way to communicate with a local person in their own country is in the native language. So, add a new language skill to your summer vacation and use it to discover all the finest hidden places and attractions. There’s nothing like exploring a country’s national uniqueness and feeling the local traditions.
3. Boost Your Brain Power
Learning a new language provides a window to different cultures and can also improve people’s cognitive skills, including memory, attention, problem-solving, reasoning and so on. The more the brain is used, the better its functions work. Multilingual people have brains that are more exercised and quick to recall names, directions, facts, and figures. A new language requires not only familiarity with vocabulary and rules, but also being able to recall and apply this knowledge.
4. Expand Your Hiring Prospects
Whether you’re looking at changing your career path or not, knowing a foreign language can boost your job prospects. It is often the one thing that separates candidates competing for the same position (especially if your business has overseas operations). Multilingualism is a valuable skill that is looked for by employers and it has become a competitive edge in today’s world. The career benefits of learning a foreign language include higher pay, career advancement, promotion, and greater job opportunities.
5. Improve Your First Language
Learning a new language improves your ability in your native language. The mechanisms and structures behind any language become crystal clear. Terms such as vocabulary, grammar, conjugation, comprehension, idioms and sentence structure become everyday phrases, whereas your own language is undoubtedly absorbed more logically. That said, learning a new language also makes you a better listener as you become used to having to interpret meaning and judge sounds.
Consider learning a new language and experience all the benefits it has to offer! Learn more about Eton Institute’s language courses here.