Here are 3 interesting facts about languages:
• 67 countries worldwide have English as an official language, yet it is only the 3rd most widely spoken.
• Mandarin is the most spoken language, with Spanish in 2nd place.
• Bolivia has 37 official languages, and English is NOT one of them.
Being able to communicate in two or more languages has many advantages:
1. Studies have shown that speaking multiple languages can make you smarter. There are several reasons why learning and speaking more than one language can enhance cognitive abilities and make someone “smarter” in certain ways:
• Brain plasticity – Learning a new language creates new neural pathways and networks in the brain, making it more flexible and efficient at processing information. Bilinguals use different brain regions that monolinguals don’t.
• Improved executive function – Speaking two or more languages requires continuous monitoring of which language to use. This mental exercise strengthens executive function skills like task switching, selective attention, and inhibition control. You can multitask like a boss.
• Enhanced memory – People who speak multiple languages have been shown to have better working memory capacities. Holding different language systems in the brain exercises memory abilities.
• Better problem-solving skills – Learning a second language requires focus, multitasking, and grasping complex grammar and vocabulary systems. This trains the cognitive muscles involved in problem-solving.
• Increased metalinguistic awareness—Bilinguals often display greater awareness of language structure, meaning, and the ability to look at words in abstract ways than monolinguals.
• Delayed onset of dementia – Some studies suggest that being bilingual may delay the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease by several years due to increased cognitive reserve.
However, it’s important to note that simply being bilingual doesn’t automatically make one generally more intelligent. Wouldn’t that be nice? Cognitive benefits are specific advantages associated with the experience of becoming bilingual.
2. There are several reasons why being bilingual or multilingual offers more and better job opportunities:
• Globalization – As businesses expand internationally, there is a high demand for employees who can communicate with global clients, partners, and subsidiaries in different languages. This makes bilingual/multilingual candidates very valuable.
• Diversity and Cultural Understanding – Those who speak multiple languages tend to better understand different cultures. This cross-cultural competence is an asset when working in diverse teams or serving a multilingual customer base.
• Cognitive Skills – As mentioned earlier, employers highly value the cognitive benefits of being bilingual, such as improved multitasking, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Expanded Career Options – Knowing extra languages opens up opportunities in fields like tourism, hospitality, journalism, translation/interpretation, international relations, education, and global companies.
• Competitiveness – In many job markets, being bilingual or multilingual gives candidates a competitive edge over monolingual applicants for the same position.
• Geographical Mobility – The ability to communicate in multiple tongues allows for greater flexibility in relocating and taking jobs abroad.
In summary, the language skills, cultural awareness, and cognitive advantages associated with multilingualism make those employees very hireable and give them opportunities that monolingual candidates may not have access to.
3. Speaking a second or third language makes travelling easier for several reasons:
• Communication – Being able to communicate directly with locals in their native tongue allows for smoother interactions and avoids the frustrations of language barriers. This helps with asking for directions, ordering food, making reservations, and engaging in deeper conversations.
• Cultural Understanding- When you know a local language, you gain insights into that culture’s customs, values, and way of thinking. This cultural awareness helps you navigate new environments more comfortably and avoid offensive cultural missteps.
• Reading Materials – Knowing multiple languages allows you to read signs, menus, instructions, and informational materials in that language, preventing you from getting lost or missing out on important details.
• Immersive Experiences – Speaking the local tongue enables you to go beyond the touristy areas and experience the authentic day-to-day life of the local people, leading to a richer travel experience.
• Making Connections – The ability to converse in someone’s mother tongue helps you connect with locals on a more personal level, facilitating new friendships and a deeper appreciation for the destination.
• Independence – You don’t have to rely as much on translators, tours with guides, or sticking to English-speaking areas. This allows for more spontaneity and freedom when travelling.
• Safety – In case of emergencies, speaking the local language can be crucial for communicating with authorities or seeking assistance.
Overall, being multilingual minimises language obstacles and opens the door to more meaningful cross-cultural experiences when travelling to different countries.
4. You can eavesdrop on conversations. You can understand the juicy gossip happening at the next table without even trying. Multilingual eavesdropping is an accidental superpower.
• When people switch languages thinking they’re being sneaky, little do they know you’re a multilingual spy fluent in their secret codes.
• You can finally find out what the impatient person behind you in line is ranting about in their native tongue. It’s probably about your slow shopping cart skills.
• Eavesdropping on multiple languages simultaneously is the ultimate mental gymnastics workout. Who needs brain teasers when you can decode several conversations at once? Now, as a wife and mother, I can promise you that it is easier to listen to two conversations in different languages than to listen to my husband and son talking to me in the same language at the same time.
Of course, eavesdropping is generally impolite, but having the unintended ability to understand multiple languages can lead to some humorously awkward eavesdropping situations. The key is to be stealthy about it.
But there are challenges…
I. Time and effort required to learn a new language effectively. Even with all these new apps, it still takes time and perseverance. One has to remember that not everyone has the same aptitude for languages.
II. The risk of becoming a language snob and being overly critical of others’ language skills. Unfortunately, I have often been guilty of this. I am so critical of subtitles on TV that I forget to follow the story. I do, however, have great respect for anyone willing to converse in a language other than their mother tongue.
III. Dreaming in a confusing blend of multiple languages. Oh yes, this happens. I have had dreams in languages I don’t even speak!
IV. Occasional mix-ups between languages, leading to potentially embarrassing situations…
For example:
Fart (English) vs Fahrt (German) meaning journey or ride
Gift (English) meaning present vs Gift (German) meaning poison
Kuchi (Hindi) meaning lap vs Kuchi (Japanese) meaning mouth
Seum (French) meaning bored or annoyed vs Sum (Korean) meaning breath
Cosa (Spanish) meaning thing vs Kosa (Polish) meaning scythe
Pika (Finnish) meaning spark vs Pika (Japanese) meaning vagina
Fica (Italian) meaning fig vs Fica (Portuguese) meaning female genitalia
Moko (Maori) meaning facial tattoo vs Moko (Fijian) meaning vomit
While being multilingual comes with its challenges, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. From improved cognitive functions to better career prospects and enriched travel experiences, speaking multiple languages is a valuable asset in today’s world.
I am Anni, speaker of English and Afrikaans. Afrikaans enables me to understand Dutch and Flemish. I took German in high school, but I have never really spoken it, and therefore reading it is easier than deciphering the spoken word. I work in roles that involve practising and applying language skills, and sometime soon, I intend to take up French and Spanish.
intrepidly,
Anni