I love learning languages. I mean, genuinely, it’s a lot of fun. Okay, sometimes it’s horrible but mostly fun. My brain gets languages in a way it has never gotten math or science. My native language is Finnish, in addition to which I speak English, Swedish, French somewhat okay and Spanish and Arabic on a beginner level. I know most HER Campus chapters are based in the US, where people do not necessarily learn languages too much. Some only speak English. That’s why I would like to take this opportunity to talk about the advantages I believe learning languages has given me and why I think everyone should study at least 1 or 2 foreign languages.
Learning different languages has scientifically been proven to have numerous benefits. These include improved memory, improved ability to think creatively, better problem solving skills, improved verbal abilities and many, many others. I definitely believe these to be true. I have had to memorize so many foreign words in my life and I absolutely think my memory is much better because of it. We used to have word quizzes at school where you had to memorize a certain amount of new words. That can be so hard especially when you’re beginning to learn a new language but I always studied and I’m very glad now that I did. Something like better problem solving skills is a bit harder to measure, but I do think that learning languages has just helped my brain work better in many different ways.
To me, learning another language is a huge sign of respect. Learning a language is hard and takes up so much time and dedication so if someone decides to learn my native language, that is such an honour to me. I don’t think everyone thinks this way. If your native language is for example English, you’d probably expect other people to be able to speak it. In any case, it is good to remember how much time and effort someone else has put into learning your language and being able to communicate with you and respect that. Whenever I go to a country whose language I know how to speak even just a little, I try to use that language as much as possible. I think it is my job, as a foreigner, to try and learn as much of the language as I can so that the natives don’t have to change their language for me. Of course it is impossible to fluently speak even a fraction of languages being spoken in the world but just a thank you in the native language of the person you are talking to goes a long way. Usually it is much appreciated.
Learning another language not only helps you understand the people who speak that language, but also their culture. You learn so much from what kind of words there are in a language, what words are missing altogether and what words are used often. In language courses, you will usually also get to know the culture or cultures related to the language at least a little bit. All of this is super interesting and to me, also a sign of respect for the other culture. And it’s not just the culture; when you learn someone’s native language, you’ll learn to see the world a bit better from their point of view. When you understand the language someone speaks, you probably understand why they say what they say better as well. And since language is such an integral part in how we understand the world as a whole, you get to understand their worldview as well.
The more languages you learn, the better you understand how languages work. Of course, not all languages work the same at all but if you have experience on several different grammatical systems and all that, you are more likely to understand how they work in any new language as well. This makes it easier to learn new languages. And even if you are not learning a new language, it makes it easier to understand languages you do not speak to some extent. You are able to compare them to what you already know from other languages and can in some cases conclude what for example some words mean. It’s kind of like building a puzzle and when you realise you’ve got it, it feels amazing.
If you are still at school I really recommend learning a language or two. You can do it for free at school and that is an opportunity you do not want to miss. There are also lots of places you can learn languages outside of school, though they usually cost something. There are also many apps you can use nowadays. I mainly use Duolingo. I was only able to take arabic courses for a year at my university, so I’ve been continuing to learn it in Duolingo. It’s not as good as having an actual teacher but it is so much better than nothing. So, whatever your situation is like, really, do learn a language if at all possible. You’re gonna thank yourself later.