As you set goals for this year, language learning and communication should be high on your list. Learning a new language can impact your future, whether your goals are personal or professional. It is a significant time commitment. Today, multiple apps and online tools have made it easier than ever. You can learn a language by making it work around your existing commitments.
Once you’re proficient in a new language, you have a skill you can enjoy for the rest of your life with consistent practice. This is one of many reasons to learn a new language this year.
Motivations for Learning a New Language
People learn new languages for many different reasons. Language learning is highly beneficial, whether it’s your second language or one of many. Here are some common reasons to learn a new language:
1. Career and Job Opportunities
According to this Financial Post article published in 2024, bilingual employees earn up to 20% more per hour than those who only speak one language. In today’s multicultural world, organizations are expanding into international markets. The need for bilingual employees is greater than ever. Learning a new language opens up more job opportunities, and you may climb the career ladder much faster. Companies looking to extend their business overseas are looking for people who speak the local language — that person could be you.
Employers want to hire people who add the most value in a highly competitive market, and adding a world language to your repertoire helps you stand out in a crowded space. People proficient in multiple languages also appeal to employers across sectors and industries.
According to the Language Connects Foundation, 90% of companies today demand multilingual talent in their workforce. Organizations consider them better communicators and problem-solvers. Second language proficiency is also a testament to your determination and resilience.
2. Travel Ease
Travel is often the next logical step when you learn a new language. Instead of getting lost or missing out on once-in-a-lifetime experiences, you can experience the culture and get to know the locals. You can easily navigate the country when you know more than one language. You can haggle at the market and order at restaurants.
Beyond that, you can develop a genuine rapport with the people and gain a new understanding and appreciation of their traditions, arts, and history.
3. Personal Growth
Learning a new language can be challenging. You may have to rethink your strengths and growth areas as you learn. When you master a new skill, your confidence and self-esteem grow. The first time you try to communicate in your new language might be nerve-wracking. However, once you’ve conquered that hurdle, you’ll likely gain confidence in other areas of your life.
Knowing a world language also influences your creativity. As you learn, you become familiar with the culture of the country that speaks it. The more you understand, the more you’ll look at the world from a new perspective. Learning a new language also means combining words in different ways, boosting your creativity.
An International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health study published in 2021 shows creativity boosts overall well-being. As you expand your horizons, your creativity will become apparent in other areas of your life.
4. Cultural Understanding and Exploration
As you expand your social circle and connect with different people, you can use your new language to learn more about other cultures. Improving proficiency in your chosen language enhances your understanding of the world. You’ll also be able to enjoy art in its original language. Instead of relying on dubbing or potentially dubious translations, you can enjoy the full meaning of every piece.
5. Language and Communication
Communicating with someone in their language is powerful. Learning a second language might be challenging, but once you’re proficient, it becomes easier to learn others. You’ll get used to using your mouth and tongue differently and understand grammar differences better.
In addition, you’ll improve your interpersonal skills as you adapt to different cultures and communication styles. As language learning requires listening and comprehension, you’ll sharpen those skills in other areas of your life.
Speaking more than one language connects you with more people. You can build more meaningful personal and business connections.
6. Improved First Language
When learning a new language, you experience different vocabulary, sentence structure, and idioms. It makes you think more about your first language, which you learned naturally. You might never have considered your first language’s abstract rules and language structure. However, when you learn a new one, you can add names to the rules you know instinctively.
You’ll become more aware of the differences between your first and second languages, which can improve your comprehension and conversation in both.
Surprising Benefits of Learning a New Language
Learning a new language can also improve brain functionality. A Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience study from 2021 shows that second language learning is associated with improved working memory, attentional switching, and increased functional connectivity. Challenging your brain to recognize words, derive meaning, and communicate in different language systems is essential. It improves your ability to negotiate meaning in various problem-solving tasks.
Another Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience 2021 study shows language learning can delay cognitive decline. It’s like exercise for your brain. People proficient in multiple languages are also better at retaining information, which can significantly impact academic and business pursuits.
The Importance of Language Certification
If you’ve put in the time and effort to learn a new language, it makes sense to get certified. A language proficiency certification validates your ability to use a language proficiently, regardless of how it was acquired. You can obtain certification by taking a language proficiency test measuring your proficiency. Instead of claiming proficiency in a language, you can provide evidence that an independent testing organization deems you proficient.
Certified language skills enhance your professional profile. Employers would rather hire candidates who can prove proficiency in a desired language than take their chances and risk misrepresentation. You can also stand out from the crowd. While anyone can put language skills on their resume, a valid, globally recognized certification differentiates your application from the other prospects wanting the same job.
Achieving certification in a world language is also a tremendous personal victory. It shows that your hard work has paid off and you can achieve your goals.
Get Certified With ACTFL Tests Administered by Language Testing International® and Today
Whatever your reasons, embracing the diversity of a second language is an excellent personal and professional goal. Proficiency in any language is a valuable addition to your skill set and a significant personal accomplishment. Formalize your successful language learning with LTI, the exclusive licensee of ACTFL.
As a leader in providing language assessments and certifying language proficiency, we offer globally recognized proficiency testing in over 120 languages and more than 60 countries. You can order an individual ACTFL test evaluated by ACTFL-certified raters and testers. After you’ve completed your test, you’ll receive an ACTFL language proficiency certificate.
