The Power of Multilingualism: Expanding Minds and Horizons

Firstly, learning a new language is not an easy process. It is safe to assume that a bilingual person would have greater intellectual flexibility, due to being able to switch between languages effortlessly. When an individual starts acquiring a brand-new language, the brain has to adapt to the complexity of the language and absorb new patterns, which will increase the brainpower. In addition, one cannot deny the importance of repetition in terms of language learning, thus the memory is strengthened naturally. According to a study done by the University of Pompeu Fabra, multilingual individuals have a better chance to pinpoint mistakes, irrelevant and deceptive information. Interestingly, a group of Swedish scientists did an MR study to determine the difference between brain sizes, and they found out that certain parts of the brain were bigger in people who are bilinguals or multilingual (“What happens in the brain when you learn a language?”). 

Secondly, the practice of learning a new language also improves performance in academic and work settings. In terms of the work field, with the increase of globalization, almost all of the new professions require more than one, two, and sometimes even three foreign languages. Also, fluently speaking multiple languages can enrich an individual’s CV. Both in the academic career and the work field making reasonable decisions are critical. Psychological studies show that a person who can ponder in another language can make these choices quite easily. According to the Pennsylvania State University, multilingual individuals can multitask effortlessly. In terms of academic performance, due to higher cognitive skills, learning a new language can improve scores in standardized math tests, reading comprehension, and vocabulary. Moreover, when an individual starts learning a new language, they became more aware of grammar, vocabulary, idioms, and sentence structure leading to a more conscious understanding of the mother tongue.

Lastly, learning a new language is an amazing opportunity to travel. Understanding the culture of the language an individual is learning is crucial. Discovering the country, experiencing the cuisine, and striving to learn the culture allow individuals to broaden their horizons. Also, it is undeniable that when the language barrier is lifted, traveling is so much more enjoyable. Being able to navigate like a local will bring an uncountable number of advantages. On top of that, multilingual have the opportunity to connect with larger groups of people comfortably. Just like Austrian philosopher, Ludwig Wittgenstein said “the limits of your language are the limits of your world”.

In conclusion, there are a plethora of benefits of learning a new language. When an individual starts the process, their brainpower increases extraordinarily, as well as the memory and the ability to detect deviousness. The newly acquired language can also help with an academic and professional career, helping individuals to make radical decisions more easily, increasing the ability to multi-task, and amplifying academic success. Last but not least, the learning process of a language is a great chance to visit different countries and become a global citizen. In my opinion, there are no negative aspects of learning a new language, contrastingly, it makes me extremely proud when I can understand, even just a word, a native in my target language.