Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/unknown-person-writing-on-chalkboard-jBSTNenQxok
Bilingualism, or the ability to speak two languages, is considered one of the most beneficial skills a person can acquire. It can benefit you in your day-to-day life, for example, when you’re interacting with various people from all across the globe. It’s highly sought-after in the labor market. And it also has the potential to stimulate the development of your brain and cognitive abilities.
We all have heard about the different benefits of bilingual education. But are they really that huge to make you start learning a foreign language ASAP? Let’s see what the real benefits of bilingualism are and figure out whether you should choose this path for you or not!
The Rise of Bilingualism
Before we start exploring the real advantages of learning a foreign language, it’s important to understand the overall state of bilingualism in the modern world.
Although bilingualism has always been a thing, the number of its representatives has been changing a lot through the past decades. According to available data, the number of two-language speakers in 1980 was only 10.68%. In 2018, this number was 20.55%. But now, it has skyrocketed more than ever – the latest data shows that the number of bilingual people is around 3.3 billion, which makes up as much as 43% of the world’s population.
The increase in second-language acquisition can be linked to numerous reasons. First of all, greater openness of borders and more extensive opportunities for traveling, studying, working, and living abroad might urge more people around the world to learn a foreign language. This might be an especially big purpose for young people who have the ambition to see the world and experience education abroad. They often engage in bilingual education while still in school. They find resources to help them maintain high grades, such as EssayPro, and use their free time to boost their foreign language proficiency. And then, they unlock more chances to travel or participate in exciting opportunities, such as studying or volunteering abroad.
The Covid-19 pandemic might be another reason. During the global lockdown, many people experienced remote education and work for the first time in their lives, and surveys revealed that the majority of these people got used to it so much that they wanted to continue working or studying remotely after the lockdown. Respectively, this fact opened more international opportunities to students and professionals across the world. But in order to capture them, they might’ve needed to acquire a second language. So this might be another factor stimulating the rise of bilingualism in the world.
7 Reasons to Learn a Foreign Language
In 2024, the popularity of bilingual education is at its peak. So, if you haven’t acquired a second language yet, now is just the right time to get started with it.
But why exactly do you have to bother about it? Here is an overview of the top reasons to start learning a foreign language:
1. Brain Stimulation
Multiple studies confirm that learning a foreign language boosts gray matter. In the process of acquiring a language, learners are exposed to large volumes of new information and rules. This is a massive challenge for your brain. It trains your brain in a similar way to how we train our muscles.
There is more. Science says that using our native language engages the left side of the brain. Yet, using a second language actually engages and stimulates both hemispheres. Hence, learning a foreign language doubles the power of your brain.
2. Enhanced Attention Span
In recent years, the average attention span in humans has been reported to lower rapidly. This led to many negative consequences on people’s ability to learn, work, and generally stay concentrated on something.
Bilingualism solves this problem. According to scientists, bilingual people get used to quickly switching between different languages. This improves the brain’s ability to concentrate and enhances attention span.
3. Greater Creativity
Second-language education consists not only of learning grammar and rules. It also consists of exploring the foreign language’s history, culture, and customs. This enables you to look at the world from a variety of perspectives and unleash your creative potential.
4. Improved Inclusivity and Tolerance
Since learning a foreign language often involves getting familiar with new cultures, it can also make you a more open-minded person. It can help you develop less prejudice. As a result, you’ll have more positive attitudes toward different people. And this is incredibly important in our multicultural world.
Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/man-in-black-shirt-sitting-beside-woman-in-gray-shirt-cZISY8ai2iA
5. Improved Skills
Learning a foreign language requires a broad set of skills. These include:
- Active listening;
- Memory;
- Information retention;
- Communication;
- Analytics;
- Critical thinking;
- Self-organization;
- Time management;
- Multitasking;
- And many others.
Bilingual people easily develop and strengthen all these skills.
6. Better Academic and Professional Performance
By teaching you a wealth of skills and stimulating your brain, second-language acquisition can actually make you a better student and/or professional. According to studies, bilingual students tend to demonstrate greater academic achievement. Also, they tend to succeed more in extracurriculars and other spheres of their lives. Most importantly, they are proven to have broader career opportunities because employers value foreign language knowledge a lot.
7. Fewer Risks of an Early Cognitive Decline
Bilingualism is proven to enhance one’s cognitive function. Hence, it can mitigate the risk of early cognitive impairments. Studies confirm that bilingual people tend to have a more natural and positive cognitive aging. They experience a decline in their cognitive abilities on average four and a half years later compared to people who only speak one language.
The Bottom Line
Bilingualism isn’t a new concept. It has been around for ages and has always shown numerous benefits. However, now, we can see it rise with more power than ever. And there are quite a few reasons for that.
As you now know, learning a second language helps you:
- Strengthen your brain;
- Improve concentration;
- Unleash creativity;
- Promote positive attitudes;
- Strengthen your skills;
- Improve your performance in school, at work, and in other spheres of your life;
- Minimize cognitive decline.
What’s more, knowing a foreign language is also linked to greater self-confidence. So, if you have been wondering whether you should learn a new language or not, now you have all the reasons to do so!