Language is an integral part of society. After all, it is how humans communicate, whether through writing or speaking. The only issue with this is the sheer amount of languages spoken across the globe which has created a language barrier, preventing communication. Because of this, people choose to learn new languages in order to help break down this barrier. However, you might be thinking about why you should learn another language. Although English has become a “universal language” of sorts, there are still many reasons why you, the reader, should learn another language.

Communication Is Key

The first reason and possibly the most important reason why you should learn another language is communication. Of course, it’s a fairly obvious reason, because that’s what language is all about. There are many scenarios in life where you have to be able to communicate with others, and that becomes more difficult when there is a language barrier present. I can confirm this through the experience that my Cajun relatives have had to go through in America. Since they only knew French, going to school was so much harder, as everyone only knew English. Learning English made the experience less difficult, although challenges still remained when switching between speaking French in private and speaking English in public. Ultimately, though, knowing two languages made life much easier for my family in the long run, and it can make a difference for you as well. iHoot staff assistant Amirah Santos Figueroa spoke about her experience being bilingual as well. She explained how knowing another language makes communication less difficult. She said, “As someone who is bilingual, I can talk to family that doesn’t speak English but also in public if someone needs help and only knows Spanish.” As mentioned by Amirah, there are multiple instances where knowing multiple languages can come in handy and make living much more convenient.

Traveling The World

Another reason why knowing another language is important is that it makes traveling easier. As iUP student Will Faulkenberry said, “When you learn a new language, you are able to communicate with cultures that do not speak English, which makes you able to travel more.” Although more and more people around the world are learning English, that doesn’t mean every place in the world has English as its most prominent language. Knowing more than one language is crucial if you ever travel to other countries because as mentioned earlier, it makes communicating with others less complicated. For me personally, learning German made traveling easier for not me but for my grandparents. My knowledge of the German language helped out my grandparents while they were traveling to predominantly German-speaking countries in Central Europe such as Germany and Austria. Although I wasn’t there with them, I still got to offer my assistance from across the Atlantic Ocean to make their trip even better.

iUP’s Opinion On Learning Another Language

iUP students seemingly all agree that you should learn another language. Staff assistant Yadiz Martinez said that being able to speak another language “gives you an advantage career-wise and will help you try new things”. iHoot editor-in-chief Natalie McLaren also agreed that learning another language is helpful. She said “I think learning a new language is super beneficial because in a lot of areas, there are people who don’t all speak English! Even though English IS the universal language across the globe, the US borders countries like Canada and Mexico, making learning the languages of French and Spanish very beneficial!!” 

Conclusion

Learning more than one language can prove very beneficial in multiple aspects. It can improve communication between you and others, whether at home or abroad. Along with that, knowing multiple languages is also something good to add to your resume, as there are many jobs seeking out bilingual workers. So, no matter what your reason is, learning a new language can help out a ton in your daily life, and it is something that everyone should consider doing.