Why learn a second language

2010-03-22 - Jon Ford

Learning a second language is important for several different reasons. At an intellectual level, it has been proven that children who learn a foreign language in their formative years demonstrate improved intelligence, concentration and school results. For those learning a second language at a more advanced age, the process can still bring about advancement in many cognitive and life skills. Learning a second language helps increase mental flexibility and creativity, as well as problem-solving and reasoning skills. It broadens the learner’s horizons, equips them to deal with unfamiliar situations effectively and exposes them to unfamiliar cultural ideas and experiences.

Knowledge of a new language can open up an entirely new culture to the learner and offer up a wealth of new opportunities. Travellers to a foreign country invariably find that their experience is considerably enhanced if they are able to communicate in the local language. It allows them to participate more fully in the day-to-day life of the community, to navigate all kinds of situations successfully and to gain a truer understanding of the place they are visiting. Knowledge of a second language enables the traveller to communicate more completely, to build lasting friendships, and undoubtedly makes for a more worthwhile and satisfying travel experience.

On an economic level, learning a second language significantly improves employment potential across every profession. Any company intending to do business abroad will always require bilingual or multilingual employees. If a business intends to compete on an international level, it will need people who can communicate effectively in the locations where it plans to operate. Thus, an applicant with second language ability will often have an advantage over a monolingual applicant for the same job.

The requirement for language skills is by no means limited to the corporate world, however. All manner of government departments have need of people with second language ability, as do the fields of education, engineering, communications, scientific research, economics, public policy and international law. There is no doubt that competence in a second language opens up an array of previously unavailable employment opportunities.

Since cultures define themselves through language, it is only by learning to understand and communicate with that culture on its own terms that one can begin to appreciate its values and beliefs. In a globalised world where nations are increasingly dependent upon each other for trade and security, such understanding and communication has become of paramount importance. People competent in a second language can help promote international diplomacy, successfully engage in international trade, help bridge the gap between cultures and thus contribute towards wider global understanding and reconciliation.