Learning a language provides us with an important tool to communicate with one another. Today, learning a new language not only enables us to connect and engage with other cultures but offers many diverse benefits in our daily lives. From enhancing academic achievement to giving unique career opportunities to improving cognitive function, exploring a new language is something everyone should consider. Here, we’ll discuss some tips for learning a new language.
Benefits of Learning a Language
Improve Cognitive Function
Learning a new language can provide great benefits for our cognitive abilities. When you learn a foreign language, your brain needs to work hard in order to process the new means of communication. The learning process requires stimulating brain engagement with activities such as memorizing vocabulary and grammatical rules. This not only improves your overall memory recall, but it can also help increase mental agility and problem-solving skills since it requires your brain to constantly switch between two sets of rules when speaking two languages.
In addition, learning a new language has also been known to have long-term benefits. Whether or not you become fluent in another language, studies have found that practicing bilingualism or learning another language has been linked to reduced age-related cognitive decline by keeping your brain active and forming new neural pathways.
Boost Your Career Prospects
With the ever-evolving global market, being bilingual or multilingual can open up many opportunities in employment and salary. When applying for a job, having the ability to speak more than one language can give you an edge over other candidates. Speaking more than one language demonstrates to employers that you can access a wider range of demographics.
Being multilingual gives you the opportunity to connect with clients or even co-workers from different backgrounds whose native language may be different from English. In our increasingly globalized markets, where bilingual professionals are commonly sought after, having the ability to speak another language can present high-paying international opportunities in your career. In fact, bilingual or multilingual employees can earn 5% to 20% more per hour than those who only speak one language. A number of factors are considered when determining this increase in pay such as how often someone will need to speak in the second language and whether or not they are transcribing or interpreting. Some high-paying multilingual jobs include intelligence officer, international diplomat, and liaison officer.
Gain exposure
High school is a great place to begin learning a new language and dive into the rich culture surrounding it. Almost all high schools offer at least one foreign language students can study. In this setting, youth can learn alongside peers, giving them the opportunity to talk and learn with each other through verbal activities. Furthermore, starting in high school can prepare you to continue to learn a language via college courses or study abroad programs.
If you’re looking to truly immerse yourself in a new language, one of the best ways is to move abroad and immerse yourself in the language where it is spoken by all. Not only does it provide the unique opportunity to live in a foreign country and experience different cultural customs, but it also allows you to practice your language literacy skills in the real world. Furthermore, it opens the door to constant conversation with native speakers in organic settings, such as while grocery shopping or commuting. It’s a great way to gain fluency in a foreign language and develop intercultural awareness.
Outside of an educational setting, learning a new language while traveling can still be an exciting and fulfilling experience. There’s nothing quite like being able to engage with locals in their native tongue. When immersed in a country that speaks that language, it becomes second nature to start picking up everyday phrases and build on your language skills as you explore the culture. With dedication and practice, traveling can be an ideal way to progress from merely understanding the basics of a language to becoming truly fluent.
Tips for Learning a Language:
1. Choose a language
While you may be limited to the languages offered by your educational institution, choosing a language to learn can still feel like a daunting decision. With so many languages out there, it can be hard to know which one is right for you. A great way to narrow down your choices is to look at which languages are spoken in places you’d like to visit someday. This of course will also give you the opportunity to practice your skills when traveling to those countries.
Try researching the customs, spoken dialects, and conversational terminology in a language you are interested in. Doing this will give you a well-rounded insight into the language that can help you fully appreciate its complexity. Check out this list of languages ranked by their learning difficulty to get a better idea.
2. Utilize different resources
Learning a new language can be an exciting but overwhelming task. That’s why it’s important to try to find assistance where you can. If you are looking to get help learning a language, our professional tutors provide services for a range of languages. At WorldWise Tutoring, we have tutors that specialize in English, Spanish, French, German, Mandarin/Chinese, Japanese, and many other languages!
Additionally, with the rise of digital media, there is now a wide variety of tools available to help you on your language journey. Platforms like YouTube and Spotify offer audio and video lessons, podcasts, and interesting articles. These resources offer extensive material and can be conveniently accessed from your mobile phone or laptop. Try adding them to your daily routine to gain some consistency, such as listening to audio lessons while commuting or watching a video lesson while having dinner. You can also put subtitles in the new language while watching your favorite shows and movies.
3. Practice with a native speaker
One of the most helpful ways to improve in speaking a foreign language is to practice it with native speakers. This can be a great way to develop your communication skills in a given language, open yourself up to a new culture, and even make some new friends in the process. Furthermore, practicing with a native speaker helps you gain confidence when speaking and better understand regional slang or nuances in a language that can’t always be found in books or classes. You don’t have to travel far either, WorldWise Tutoring has online tutors that are dedicated to connecting with learners around the world who want to swap conversations in their target languages.
4. Be consistent
Consistency is the biggest factor in making strong and lasting progress when learning a new language. Taking part in regular activities like listening to native speakers or practicing conversation on a daily basis will not just help you learn faster, but also make sure what you learn sticks with you for longer. This can also be done by practicing common verbal phrases or greetings in a language you are learning. Keep it interesting by changing up your learning medium. Try different sources for news, podcasts, movies, or shows.
Conclusion
Learning a new language can be an intimidating but rewarding experience. With the right resources and dedication, you’ll find that it is possible to become fluent in any language of your choice. Utilizing different digital platforms or connecting with native speakers online are great ways to get started on this journey. Most importantly, consistency is key when learning a foreign language; you may be surprised at how quickly progress will come if you stick with it.
If you are interested in learning a language or want professional help developing a study plan, WorldWise Tutoring can help! We have skilled professionals in Illinois, Texas, and worldwide who can get you on track to both verbal and written fluency in a number of different languages. Hire a tutor today!
Written by Miguel Correa-West
