The 5 best reasons to learn a language...

There are a hundred different reasons to learn a new language which, by the way, far outweigh the number of counter-arguments given to me over the years by a few belligerent teenage learners. Here, I’m going to outline my top five reasons why learning a language should be high on your bucket list.

"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart." - Nelson Mandela

Understanding the language of a people and country affords you a deeper, richer understanding of its culture and civilisation. Nelson Mandela said, "If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” You can tap into the real being of a place, develop a tangible appreciation and even a sense of belonging. It can’t be denied that language expresses identity and this quotation is even more significant coming from a man whose own words influenced world politics.

Communication has got to be one of the top reasons for learning a language. Anyone who has travelled to a country where they don’t speak the language, or even worse, can’t read the alphabet, will have felt this keenly. Being able to understand what the locals may be saying can be invaluable to keeping you safe and on a less consequential level, stop you being charged more for goods and food. The ability to communicate in other languages allows you to be helpful to others, I have on a number of occasions translated for people (think customs, police stations, political demonstrations we didn’t mean to be anywhere near), and once I was able to help a lost Spanish lorry driver get back en route from a place where lorries really shouldn’t have been. He was most grateful; what are the chances of happening upon a Spanish speaker at pub closing time in a deserted Welsh village? True story.

"Those who know nothing of foreign languages know nothing of their own." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Reason number three is hard to argue with: it’s good for your brain. The brain benefits from learning new and complex things so the cognitive benefits of language learning are numerous; improved memory, thinking skills, concentration. You could say that understanding a language is the ultimate brain exercise. It is often said that young children pick up new languages very quickly but the cognitive benefits of language learning can be enjoyed at any age. Learning a new language also deepens the understanding of your own language. This is not a modern concept, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe who died in 1832 said, “Those who know nothing of foreign languages know nothing of their own.”

“One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way.” – Frank Smith.

School students find that their performance in other subjects benefits from their improved comprehension, reading and listening skills developed through learning a second language. Having more than one language facilitates travel, the opportunity to work in different countries and even gives you a better chance at securing your place at a good university. This is both for the practical benefits of speaking another language, and also the study skills and cognitive benefits language learners will have developed through their studies.

My final reason is simple. Learn another language just because you can. Learning to speak a language is the one thing you’ve proved to yourself you can do already. It’s fun, it’s a challenge and it’s good for you. What are you waiting for?

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