The world we live in is getting smaller by the day. With advances in telecommunications, new business and travel opportunities as well as cultural exchanges through entertainment and the arts, people are connecting like never before. Whether you’ve thought of learning a new language or you have some high school or college-level skills to build upon, language acquisition opens up a world of possibilities. So, what do you stand to gain from parler Français or 学汉语 (Xué Hànyǔ)? Let’s take a look at some of those opportunities and advantages.
Educational Growth
If you’re taking foreign language classes for fun or to attain class credits, you should know that learning a new language carries a multitude of benefits across all grade and educational levels. From enhancing early cognitive growth to increasing standardized test scores, particularly for the SATs and ACT, there’s an abundance of research asserting that foreign language acquisition contributes greatly to a student’s abilities in and out of the classroom.
Even at the elementary level, researchers found direct correlations between the test scores between third grade students who were fully immersed in Spanish language lessons versus students that received no foreign language education. In 1997, researchers J.D. Rogers and P. W Armstrong published their findings in the educational journal, Learning Languages. They found that the students randomly assigned to receive 30 minutes of Spanish lessons three times per week for one semester scored significantly higher than the group that didn’t on the math and language portions of the Metropolitan Achievement Test (MAT).
Aside from improved test scores, researchers have long found that when students learn new languages, the underlying motivators that fuel linguistic growth also contribute to::
- enhanced abilities in creative and abstract thinking
- improvements in reading comprehension in their native languages
- Increased skill and mastery in STEM programs
Overall, the benefits of learning foreign languages are amplified with earlier and more sustained development throughout a student’s academic career.
Career Growth
With the benefits of language acquisition well-documented among students, learning a foreign language can also contribute to career growth as well. Several of these benefits may contribute to increased salaries and more job opportunities.
As with language acquisition at any educational level, learning a new language as an adult can still contribute to cognitive abilities despite the long-held misconception that inherent advantages in learning a language at an earlier age are superior to learning as an adult.
Adult language learners, according to researchers at the University of Chicago, were found to think more rationally, and with less bias, when utilizing a foreign language to weigh options about a decision.
Additionally, another study from Pennsylvania State University found that bilingual language learners outperformed monolinguals (those who are fluent in only one language), when it came to multitasking. These researchers observed that the “mental gymnastics” necessary in bilingualism accounted for an increased ability to jump from task to task with heightened, more focused attention.
With these mental and behavioral improvements, many professionals find that there are practical benefits to learning a new language in order to further one’s career. Experts at BRIC Language Systems found that being bilingual or multilingual may increase a typical salary between 10 and 15 percent. Since our global economy also relies on communication across borders, being able to speak two or more languages opens up a wealth of career opportunities both at home and abroad.
Sustained Cognitive Abilities
As with enhanced cognition for students and professionals, being proficient and fluent in foreign languages presents a number of positive mental benefits for people of any age.
With sustained language acquisition and comprehension skills, research has shown that maintaining foreign language fluency may contribute to lowered risks of onset memory issues related to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. In fact, researchers found that multilingualism has a “protective effect” on memory in seniors who learn and practice language skills over their lifetimes.
Given these long-term benefits, it’s no surprise that foreign language skills are in demand now more than ever. Whether you’re just learning some grammar techniques in school or brushing up more in-depth conversational skills to benefit your career, learning new languages certainly carries untold value.