My curiosity and sense of adventure took me to a foreign country where my passion and love for languages begun. I have been teaching languages for over twenty years and I believe that for many there is still a fear associated with learning a foreign language – the fear of the unknown.

When talking about learning another language, we all agree that the earlier we are expose to a new language, the quicker and easier it is to pick up and absorb the knowledge. For this precise reason, here at Bright Owls we start teaching languages to children aged 5 and onward. What about those of us who aren’t that young? Is it too late for us? Absolutely not! “Am I too old to learn? Have I left it too late?” those are questions we commonly get asked by students before enrolling and will be addressed in our next blogs.

Many of my students tell me that the reason they didn’t start their language learning journey earlier is because they had no reason for doing so. If you are already learning another language or just considering doing so, I would like to share with you some reasons for taking the plunge:

1. To expand your understanding of your own native language – By learning another language, you will become more aware of your own; enriching your understanding and appreciating the power of communication.
2. To value international literature, music, art and film – You’re missing out! There are so many fine arts, films and literature’s in the world around us waiting for your newly found appreciation.
3. To increase global understanding – Other languages give us a different outlook on cultures and ways of life.
4. To open doors in alternative careers and to increase your employment potential – Learning a foreign language will boost your employment opportunities and undoubtedly open you up to new work-related experiences.
5. To keep your mind active – Sometimes we get lost in the pattern of our daily routine. Learning new vocabulary and phrases in another language is something totally alien to our brains, it’s a break from our day to day and presents us, to our brains, with a challenge keeping us mentally active.
6. To intensify the understanding of our own culture – We live in a multicultural society. Whether you’re in your own country or travelling to another, learning a new language will make you more perceptive to other cultures and their values; as well as making us appreciate our own even more. This further understanding helps us when making new friends and strengthening relationships with people from other countries.
7. To make enduring friendships – We all enjoy meeting new people and by speaking another language the number of new friendships you can make is endless.
8. To support the creation of a colourful and brighter future for oneself and loved ones – It’s time to break down cultural barriers and to create international identities for everyone. This can only commence by us becoming more united, what better way to do this than speaking the same language?
9. To travel at ease, knowledge is power – Knowing another language empowers us to communicate and express ourselves better, you’ll find yourself able to relax more knowing that you’re in control. The residents of the hosting country will be appreciative of your efforts.
10. To grasp opportunities to study, live and work abroad – It’s rare that we’ll ever come across the best courses, careers, work and life opportunities on our doorstep, we often need to look further afield. Taking on the learning of a new language will broaden your horizons, closing the gap between you and your dreams.

If you made it to the end of this post, I hope that I have made you see enough reasons to start learning a new language and I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Until next time,
Marisa