With the current situations surrounding us, we are suddenly hit with all this free time. And while you could use this time to watch movies and scroll through social media, why not try something new and productive? Why not try to learn a language?
I know. You’re probably thinking, why would I want to spend hours reading through textbooks and memorizing grammar? Let me give you 6 reasons why and by the end of this blog post, I'll assure you that you'll change your mind. (Hint: Watching Netflix is part of the learning process!)
In this blog post series, there will be 2 posts: 1) why you should learn a new language and 2) how you can do it
Note: All images come from Pixabay or from Wix. No need to sue me!
Reason #1) It’s enjoyable and will take your mind off things 😌
In such a stressful time, it helps to find some hobbies to help you relax and overall boost your mental health. If you don’t have supplies to bake or do art, learning a new language is a great option.
Especially at the beginning of your journey, you’ll experience a sharp learning spike, where it seems like you are progressing fast. Each day, there’s always something new to learn, whether that be a new grammar concept or simply learning to say “how are you?”. Language learning is a process and builds off of previous knowledge, like leveling up in a video game. So to find yourself moving on from simply saying greetings to forming more complex sentences like mine right now is extremely satisfying and fulfilling. You could pick up a book and what once seems like unintuitive scrawling of dashes and lines form into recognizable words with meaning. How cool is that?
Once you get into learning mode, a fire of motivation ignites within you, yearning to know more. I find myself up late on some night, wondering How do you say “I am a girl”, how do you say “you are cool?” No matter what your age is, learning never stops.
Reason #2) You can connect with people and cultures 🌐
Sounds ironic because we’re stuck at home, right? While that may be true, the internet is here to help!
With apps such as italki, Facebook groups, and other language forums, a vast community of avid language learners will be opened to you!
And of course, once and if the quarantine ever ends, you can travel with the confidence that you have learned and can understand the language spoken in the given country.
More than that, however, is the ability to connect with people and their cultures in greater depth. It is commonly said and you probably have heard many times that learning a language is learning culture, but it’s true! As you delve deeper into languages, you’ll most likely start picking up different aspects of their culture and the unique traditions celebrated in certain countries. If you’re a foodie like me, you can try out new recipes (Want to try making some Chinese food? Ideas posted here:) or if you like music, you'll pick up a variety of styles. The world is vast and diverse and it’s fascinating to experience different ways of life other than your own.
Reason #3) You become smarter+ gain a very useful job skill 💰
Why not emerge from quarantine with new skills that can open many so new pathways, whether that be getting a resume boost or being able to participate in more volunteering opportunities. For me, by learning Spanish, I was able to tutor kids at a local primarily Spanish-speaking school nearby every week. This was such an amazing and touching experience by seeing what I know being able to make a positive impact on other’s lives. ( I will definitely make another blog post about this)
As for jobs, it has been found that bilinguals get bigger bonuses and between 2% and 10% higher wages. Of course, most jobs need communication skills, and opening many more doors makes you a competitive applicant in the job field.
Finally, learning anything engages your brain. Research shows that learning a language delays the onset of Alzheimer´s disease, as well as many other health benefits like better decision¡making skills.
Impress your friends and families with what you achieved!
Also, I think there is a quote somewhere that states that learning a language is learning more about your own. What do I mean by this? Well, when studying the difference between past perfect and present perfect tense in Spanish, I had to first consider what the difference was in English. Grammar just makes so much more sense once you start studying the different versions there are.
Reason #4) So many options and so many resources! ✨
There are more than 7,000 languages in the world. While some aren’t as prominently spoken and thus limited in resources, the choice is vast! Each language comes with its own unique traits. Say, for example, you aren’t a fan of grammar. Try Chinese! You may be surprised to know that one of the most difficult languages to learn also has the most simple grammar structure, but it’s true! Unlike Spanish, there aren’t many conjugations for various verb tenses. Say you want a little challenge. Give Arabic a shot! Or maybe you simply like how French is pronounced or want to finally understand the Kpop songs you love listening to.
With the internet, you can basically search up thousands of resources available to you for free. Besides Duolingo, there are blogs, websites, YouTube videos, and more! And plus, you can create your own personalized learning schedule. In fact, if you aren't a "textbook" person, you don't necessarily have to use one! Immersing yourself with the language is a key way of attaining it, and even watching shows from Netflix in your target language counts! I love listening to Spanish podcasts and reading my favorite childhood books in Chinese and seeing new ways in which characters and dialogue are presented. I've even found my favorite YouTubers in this way. This is an amazing part of learning language because it doesn't have to be formal at all!
Reason #5) It's a fun blend of art, math, and science 🔬🎨➕
If you’re a math, science, or even arts fan, language is a beautiful combination of all subjects, so it’ll keep you intellectually curious and active. Just like math, grammar is constructed with rules, except instead of numbers, you plug them in with words. For example, if you choose to learn Spanish, you’ll find that you attach different verb endings for different subjects in different tenses. Like solving math equations, understanding, and forming sentences require a problem-solving mentality. The most pleasing moments for me come when I translate sentences back in forth from Chinese to English because the whole word order changes and there are certain phrases that can be summed up to one word in English-it’s up to your interpretation.
This leads me to my next point: Language is an art. It is interesting how there are sayings where art is a universal language, but I think it can go the other way around too. There isn't always one exact way to say something, so it's up to what tone you want to convey and the idea you want to express. The way in which we play with our words, in fact, creates the basis of poetry and literature which we analyze. See my blog post here to see a good example of ASL being a form of expressive art. Maybe this is a stretch, but what do you think?
Finally, as with the field of linguistics, language is a science because it is a discovery of what makes us human and how languages influence the way we think, behave, and our interactions with others.
Reason #6) Why not? You don’t have anything else to do 🤷
At the end of the day, just give it a shot! I promise you that 10 minutes out of your day won’t hurt :) Quarantine is a prime time to try new things!
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