Learning a foreign language is like a roller coaster ride, it is an exciting and thrilling experience. The rising interest in foreign languages and cultures among all age groups is a result of globalization. Whether you are a traveller who has the zest to explore the world or a management candidate looking to enhance your resume, learning a foreign language always comes in handy and opens new avenues for everyone.
For those who wonder that how learning a new language could benefit them, let me tell you, this skill is an asset for you in every way. It is exceptionally good for improving your cognitive processes. It not only makes you good at multitasking since the brain gets trained to process the grammar and phonetics of more than one language but it is scientifically proven that multilingual people have increased brain capacity and thus, better memory. Moreover, foreign languages open up your mind to new perspectives, they make you experience the essence of different exotic cultures, you learn about different cuisines, the lifestyle abroad, their music, the films they watch, their work culture, their literature, their history, and so much more interesting things. It is not just appealing to xenophiles, but also to professionals who are looking for better opportunities since proficiency in a foreign language definitely makes your CV shine. It also opens up new doors for you, since learning a foreign language makes you eligible for innumerable language-based careers.
Since the world is full of varied interesting languages, it sometimes becomes difficult for people to put their hands on one to start with. To make your decision easier, it is suggested that you consider your reason for learning a foreign language. Mandarin, Arabic, Japanese and Chinese are becoming increasingly popular among the professionals working in MNCs due to a shift in economic weight in the last few decades. A lot of students are also learning German since Germany is one of the very few countries in the world who provides free higher education to international students. European languages especially French and Spanish are good for travellers since it is spoken widely in Europe, parts of Africa, North and South America, which is also why many job seekers prefer to learn these. Korean is becoming popular because of the amazing entertainment content available in these languages. Sanskrit, Persian, Greek, and Latin are popular among scholars who study and translate old texts, history, mythology and culture studies. Different professions appreciate different foreign languages, depending on work requirements. Moreover which better language to learn than the one whose native people and culture fascinates you.
The world will always prefer someone who has an extra skill, so why not become that someone, learn a new medium of words and boost up your career. Companies like Accenture, Wipro, Infosys, Scabbard, TCS and Fiserv are known to prefer multilingual candidates. After becoming proficient in more than one language, you may work as translators, and convert a text from language to the other, many choose to work as freelancers in this sphere. You may also work as interpreters and convey the spoken language into the target language for the clients. Many customer service jobs like the hotel management industry, tourism industry, call centres, public relations, and air companies employ multilingual. If you are a people person and know your way around people, you can also apply to intelligence agencies and bilingual cultural centres and get a high job profile. If composition is your talent, you may also choose to do creative writing, a lot of people start with writing children’s books. Teaching is the most popular option for those who have mastered the language and very clear with the basics. You can teach online, take personal tuitions or even teach at schools or institutes. Many language learners also start full time or part-time blogs and create online content in the form of videos and text, you can do this too!
There are various mediums of learning foreign tongues. A lot of people choose to learn in the comfort of their homes, in the form of an online course. It is suggested that online courses that also offer student interaction, comprehensive exercises, and speaking activities should be opted for. A lot of people prefer to learn on their own using applications like Duolingo and YouTube videos, this is also very effective but requires dedication since regularity becomes an issue which is a must when you learn something new. The most effective learning happens in language schools, especially the ones which are directly associated with the embassy of the country, where you not only learn the language but also meet people who are interested in the same thing. Such institutes offer cultural experiences through various events for their students and most importantly, they cover all the domains of a language which are speaking, listening, reading and writing, a lot of which is in the form of fun activities. Some students also prefer personal tuitions for one on one interaction and self-determined pace of learning. There are countless websites that also provide connecting with people from all over the world via chat, you can use platforms like Omegle to communicate with the natives and converse with them in their language.
All in all, learning a foreign language is not just fun, it makes you more competent in the professional world, shapes your career, and most importantly exposes you to a whole new world which culturally very different from yours. What are you waiting for, enrol in a foreign language course today!
