Studying a new language in addition to the one(s) you learnt while growing up is linked to many benefits, both in the social field and in the cognitive area of the brain. Many people, additionally, see learning a foreign tongue as a way to challenge themselves, or simply as a dream they had for many years.
Due to the historical development of the West in the last centuries, English has become the primary language worldwide, and approximately 1.4 billion people, about 17.5% of the global population, can speak it. Despite this, knowing another tongue is undoubtedly beneficial in many ways, as outlined below.
⁍ Exposure to different cultures
While exploring a new language, and using it in real life, we are exposed to the culture(s) belonging to the country, or countries, where that tongue is officially spoken. We also get to know alternative ways of thinking, which sometimes might work in the opposite way to the way we are used to. This means we have the possibility to challenge our mindset and consequently see things through a different lens.
⁍ Increased networking
Throughout our life, we meet and get to know different people. Sometimes, when some people don’t know English and we know their tongue, we might be able to expand our networking potential by interacting with them. This is good for not only the professional sector but in every field of life.
⁍ Improvement of some cognitive abilities
The process of learning a new tongue has been linked to many improvements related to the cognitive area of the brain. Bilingual kids, for instance, have been shown to possess a stronger memory, better visual-spatial skills and a more sophisticated creativity, if compared to their monolingual counterparts. In adult life, this type of learning is beneficial for the brain.
⁍ Increase in employability
Many recruiters, both in the UK and overseas, are looking for professionals that can master other languages outside of English or their native tongue. This is not only for the practical benefit of it, but also because it shows them the candidates have been exposed to the world, and they made efforts to learn two or more languages in their life so far.
Alongside the benefits of learning a new language, I would also like to share my personal experience in learning my fourth language at Brunel. Being a Romanian-born Italian, I grew up speaking Romanian and Italian. After learning English at school and coming to the UK to begin my academic career, I decided to start studying Mandarin Chinese. Among all the languages offered by the Brunel Language Centre, I chose Mandarin because it is one of the most important languages worldwide. I reckon in the future it will become even more relevant, especially considering the role of China as a global superpower. Furthermore, being completely different from the Romance languages, Chinese is a new opportunity to challenge myself and improve my cognitive abilities, which are important in any domain of life.
If you are interested in learning a new language at Brunel, you can take a look at the Brunel Language Centre’s website, which currently offers courses for 10 different languages, both Romance and Asian, including the British Sign Language. At the beginning of each academic year there are different language courses and levels you can apply to. For Brunel students, all options are for free.