1. Not knowing a country’s language can be seen as disrespectful.
When you know another person’s language, you are basically telling them you are interested enough in them to take a major amount of time and effort to learn how to properly communicate with them. You can share in a better understanding of where other people come from when you can properly communicate with them.
2. It makes you more marketable in the job world.
Employers are constantly seeking individuals that fit the requirements of the position they’re hiring. However, when you have something unique to offer, something that they cannot train you, it can outweigh some of the other technical skills you may not have since those they can most likely teach you on the job.
3. It’s like having a super power when you can understand what others are saying without them knowing.
Whether it’s on your travels or just in your day-to-day, the world is getting smaller and smaller, and you have definitely heard someone around you speaking in a language you didn’t understand. How cool would it be to actually know what they were saying without them even knowing?
4. It allows you to communicate what you truly want to say to more people in the world, versus relying on a translator that may get your message across wrong.
Every language has its own dialect and slang. Therefore, many times, when one tries to translate, there are many words that are almost impossible to directly do so and get misinterpreted along the way. Knowing a language for yourself helps prevent this misled communication from happening.
5. It may come in handy if you’re ever lost in an unfamiliar place.
Although this sounds like it would never happen to you, trust me it very easily can. If you’re out and about, and your phone dies, and you happen to be alone, knowing the language of wherever you’re at and being able to communicate with whoever is around you is crucial to be able to get out of that uncomfortable and possibly dangerous situation.