Why You Should Consider Learning A New Language

If you read this blog constantly, then you know that I've been learning French with Duolingo consistently for about a year and a half now. I always enjoyed French, right from primary school.This was partly due to my mom as she likes French too and even took classes for a while. I discovered Duolingo (honestly, they should come and sponsor me because I talk about them a lot on here) when I was in Year 11 or SS 2 as we call it in Nigeria and I was hooked. I was learning Italian and French but I wasn't consistent or anything. It was just for fun.

My plan was to take French as a fourth A-Level subject but that didn't happen. In hindsight, I'm so glad it didn't. I still wanted to learn French properly so sometime in 2016 I went back to Duolingo and started afresh. And I'm still at it up till now, slowly but steadily.

Source

I know we all have different interests and that some people would rather watch paint dry than attempt to learn a new language but I've come up with a list of reasons why you should consider it. And please bear in mind that learning doesn't always have to be 100% fluency.

Improved Job Prospects

I feel like this point is pretty obvious. Speaking more than one language makes more jobs in your chosen field accessible. Many times, there are jobs that you may feel you're perfect for but because you don't speak the language required, you have to pass it up. A person who speaks let's say English and French can apply for English speaking jobs as well as French-speaking ones, which increases your chances of landing at least one of them. This works especially well if the second language is popular in many countries so think of languages such as French, Spanish, Arabic and so on. Even with languages that are not as popular, it can still open doors for you career-wise. It's just that the opportunities won't be as wide as it would for a popular language.

Even if you're only interested in English speaking jobs, speaking multiple languages can give you an edge over others. I'm pretty sure that employers are impressed when they see that sort of thing on your CV.

Speaking more than one language can also help you bring in some extra income. Translators are always needed and if you're fluent in multiple languages, this could be a way for you to supplement what you already earn.

Helpful For Holidays

If you'll be going on holiday in 2018 to a country with a foreign language, you should consider learning a bit of the language to help. Nothing in depth of course but basic phrases and things you need to know to get by. I think that learning a bit of a language because you're visiting the area is a lot of fun. Last year, a friend of mine went to Morrocco. He and his friends were able to assimilate easily because he could speak and read a little bit of French. I'm nowhere close to being fluent in French but I know that if I was ever in a French-speaking environment I wouldn't feel 100% hopeless and the thought of that is very comforting.

Greater Education Prospects

I know that a lot of universities in Europe are free as long as you're able to speak the language. Some might not be free but you may end up paying a lot less. I recently read about a university in the French-speaking part of Canada where foreign students can learn in either English or French. Students in the French stream pay the same amount of tuition as Canadian students while those in the English stream are charged with the higher international fees. 

My friend Maram speaks five languages fluently and when she was applying to universities, admission tutors were certainly impressed by this. 

For The Fun Of It

If you genuinely enjoy learning new things and are looking for a new hobby this year, why not learn a language? You'll be doing something you enjoy and at the same time, it could be beneficial in the future. 

And lastly, I just think it's really cool. I'm always impressed by people who speak multiple languages. And I'm not going to lie, I feel pretty cool when people tell me they're impressed that I'm learning a different language or when I'm able to read something in French and actually understand. 

I remember the day I realized that Pret A Manger (the cafe) translates to 'ready to eat'. I was so happy that I could translate it. Maybe it's the nerd in me but such things excite me haha. 

Lastly, I want to point out that you don't necessarily have to use Duolingo. I use Duolingo because I'm learning on my own and it's my favourite of all the language learning apps that I've tried. I know a lot of universities allow students learn a second language so that's something you should totally consider if you're still at uni. You can listen to podcasts, watch shows in the language you're trying to learn, hire a tutor and so on. There are a lot of ways to do this if you're interested. 

If you read up to this point, you're a real one lol. Thank you for reading and I'll talk to you all in my next post! xx

If you read this blog constantly, then you know that I've been learning French with Duolingo consistently for about a year and a half now. I always enjoyed French, right from primary school.This was partly due to my mom as she likes French too and even took classes for a while. I discovered Duolingo (honestly, they should come and sponsor me because I talk about them a lot on here) when I was in Year 11 or SS 2 as we call it in Nigeria and I was hooked. I was learning Italian and French but I wasn't consistent or anything. It was just for fun.

My plan was to take French as a fourth A-Level subject but that didn't happen. In hindsight, I'm so glad it didn't. I still wanted to learn French properly so sometime in 2016 I went back to Duolingo and started afresh. And I'm still at it up till now, slowly but steadily.

Source

I know we all have different interests and that some people would rather watch paint dry than attempt to learn a new language but I've come up with a list of reasons why you should consider it. And please bear in mind that learning doesn't always have to be 100% fluency.

Improved Job Prospects

I feel like this point is pretty obvious. Speaking more than one language makes more jobs in your chosen field accessible. Many times, there are jobs that you may feel you're perfect for but because you don't speak the language required, you have to pass it up. A person who speaks let's say English and French can apply for English speaking jobs as well as French-speaking ones, which increases your chances of landing at least one of them. This works especially well if the second language is popular in many countries so think of languages such as French, Spanish, Arabic and so on. Even with languages that are not as popular, it can still open doors for you career-wise. It's just that the opportunities won't be as wide as it would for a popular language.

Even if you're only interested in English speaking jobs, speaking multiple languages can give you an edge over others. I'm pretty sure that employers are impressed when they see that sort of thing on your CV.

Speaking more than one language can also help you bring in some extra income. Translators are always needed and if you're fluent in multiple languages, this could be a way for you to supplement what you already earn.

Helpful For Holidays

If you'll be going on holiday in 2018 to a country with a foreign language, you should consider learning a bit of the language to help. Nothing in depth of course but basic phrases and things you need to know to get by. I think that learning a bit of a language because you're visiting the area is a lot of fun. Last year, a friend of mine went to Morrocco. He and his friends were able to assimilate easily because he could speak and read a little bit of French. I'm nowhere close to being fluent in French but I know that if I was ever in a French-speaking environment I wouldn't feel 100% hopeless and the thought of that is very comforting.

Greater Education Prospects

I know that a lot of universities in Europe are free as long as you're able to speak the language. Some might not be free but you may end up paying a lot less. I recently read about a university in the French-speaking part of Canada where foreign students can learn in either English or French. Students in the French stream pay the same amount of tuition as Canadian students while those in the English stream are charged with the higher international fees. 

My friend Maram speaks five languages fluently and when she was applying to universities, admission tutors were certainly impressed by this. 

For The Fun Of It

If you genuinely enjoy learning new things and are looking for a new hobby this year, why not learn a language? You'll be doing something you enjoy and at the same time, it could be beneficial in the future. 

And lastly, I just think it's really cool. I'm always impressed by people who speak multiple languages. And I'm not going to lie, I feel pretty cool when people tell me they're impressed that I'm learning a different language or when I'm able to read something in French and actually understand. 

I remember the day I realized that Pret A Manger (the cafe) translates to 'ready to eat'. I was so happy that I could translate it. Maybe it's the nerd in me but such things excite me haha. 

Lastly, I want to point out that you don't necessarily have to use Duolingo. I use Duolingo because I'm learning on my own and it's my favourite of all the language learning apps that I've tried. I know a lot of universities allow students learn a second language so that's something you should totally consider if you're still at uni. You can listen to podcasts, watch shows in the language you're trying to learn, hire a tutor and so on. There are a lot of ways to do this if you're interested. 

If you read up to this point, you're a real one lol. Thank you for reading and I'll talk to you all in my next post! xx