The Advantages of Learning to Speak a New Language

Learning to speak a new language can help you enjoy more of what life has to offer. Improve your worth professionally and enrich your travel experiences.

As someone who came to language learning later in life I have come to appreciate the advantages of learning to speak a new language first hand. I tried to learn French at school but a mixture of teenage disinterest and very poor language teachers meant that I was 40 years old before I started learning German. The silly thing is that I found I have an aptitude for learning languages and within a year of starting my German course I was able to converse in German quite well. After 3 years I was fluent and able to watch movies and read books in German.

You're never too old to start learning a new language. Studies have proven that people that pursue new learning opportunities as they grow older, can actually reverse the effects of aging on their minds and cognitive function.

Business Advantages

Since those times I have learnt some Spanish and French. There is one motivation for me to learn to speak a new language and that is the obvious one of being able to talk to people from other countries. I visit France, Germany and Spain for work and business so it makes sense for me to know the languages. When I am visiting business contacts it makes be appear far more professional if I speak my host’s language. The English have a bad reputation for not wanting to learn languages and I enjoy breaking this stereotype when I travel overseas.

Holiday Advantages

I never go on holiday to join a load of other holiday makers all speaking English. I much prefer to break out from the standard holiday resorts and explore the surrounding area. To do this you need to speak a new language, the local language. You can order food and find out far more about a country by using your language skills. We once had a meal on the seafront in Gran Canaria and our waiter spoke no English. I had been learning Spanish for 3 months and so we started our ordering in Spanish. I then recognised his German accent and spoke to him in German. He was on a working holiday from Germany and served us like royalty for the whole evening. We mixed up all the languages and made a great game out of how the 3 languages of English, Spanish and German differ.

Life Advantages

This is one of the best advantages of learning to speak a new language. When you are going about your daily life and you recognise someone from another country you can just talk to them in their own mother tongue. Apart from the pride you can feel in your own ability you will also be treated with respect and interest by other people. I can greet people in many languages and always make a point of doing so when I have the chance.