At La Lingua we love languages. Becoming bilingual or being able to speak more than one language is really rewarding. It will also enable you to travel, work or make friends that you never knew you could.
Studying in Sydney will also allow you to meet people from all over the world and not only improve your English skills, but you will meet people from Asia, Europe or South America with whom you can also practice some Spanish or Japanese, for instance.
It’s likely most of us have thought about learning a new language at same point of our lives, or even more than one! The truth is that most of us lack time or motivation to continue learning a language before we reach a good level. And this is where this article may be suitable for you. Here I go giving you 6 good reasons why you definitely should learn a second language.
1. Increase your confidence and establish deep connections and cross-cultural friendships
I am pretty sure at least once in your life you have meet someone from a different culture and you have realised how the connection with that person could have been different if you just could communicate better knowing that person’s language. If you don’t want to miss out on an authentic cultural experience, learning a new language could actually help you to establish a deeper connection. Also, you will broaden your outlook and will meet more interesting people, with whom you will have a lot more experiences to share and cultural exchange.
2. Great training for you brain
According to experts, it seems that bilingual brains are multi-tasking all the time – even when they are mostly using one of them, bilinguals are constantly bringing up vocabulary from both and choosing the one it’s more suitable. Also, it can keep brains healthy for longer.
3. Travelling becomes so much simpler
Imaging this: you’re in the middle of nowhere, there are few roads and you can’t read the signs. You don’t want to get lost or spend money and you don’t want to waste your time either. If you could ask a local and explain to them where you want to go or just understand the sign, you will save time and money. And surely, it would be less frustrating for you too. The same goes with understanding the menu at a restaurant. True story, when I was living in China, I used to choose one of the first options in the menu. Until I was able to recognise the Chinese characters, I just assumed those where the simplest food I could get, such as rice, noodles or vegetables. You will be surprised how your survival instincts activate under certain circumstances. Needless to say, I made some terrible wrong decisions following that rule.
4. You meet more people and make new friends
Learning a new language is not just focus on memorising vocabulary and grammar rules. It implies learning about the culture, habits and traditions of the country where that language is used.
5. It boosts your professional opportunities and career
Learning a second language opens up a ton of career opportunities. The world is changing and chances are that the ability to speak a second language will set you apart from other applicants and will increase your employment prospects.
6. Open your mind to new cultures
A new language will help you to understand other people better and to see the world with different eyes. As human beings, we are all moulded by the culture in which we live and we act accordingly. Possibly, being aware of how you behave and compare it with others could make you wonder if your way of thinking and actions in your home country are actually the best. This way you will become more tolerant and open to others.
At La Lingua, we have always thought that language courses taught by native and experienced teachers and making it fun is the best way to learn a language. And what’s funnier that learning Australian slang or curious expressions when learning a new language, right?
