When we think about what we do in our everyday life, we probably don’t make learning a new language a priority. Having a busy life makes it difficult to learn and try something new. Studies show that learning new things can improve our lives in so many ways, and there are many benefits of learning a foreign language, one being that it can make us feel good!
Here are some of the ways language learning can make you feel happier:
Social interactions can be a great source of happiness and studies show that the more we interact with other people, the more uplifted we feel. Learning a new language opens our world up to meeting new people who also speak that language, and this in turn enables us to build relationships that we otherwise wouldn’t have. As well as making new friends, through meeting people who speak other languages we get an insight into other cultures and we can get other people’s perspectives on our own culture.
Travel is the key to happiness. Learning another language also makes travelling so much easier. When we are in another country visiting local markets or shops, we can feel useless and frustrated if we don’t speak the language. So, being able to speak some of the language of the country we’re visiting can really enhance our experience. There’s nothing better and more rewarding than being able to communicate with the locals. We don’t need to be fluent, the locals will appreciate even just a few words as it shows that we’ve taken the time to at least attempt to learn and communicate in their language.
According to research, expanding our skills and working towards something we can achieve makes us happy. Making progress on our goals makes us feel better and more satisfied with life, which, in turn, increases our wellbeing. The best way to start learning a new language is by taking small steps, and then taking note of how your progress makes you feel: the pride, the excitement, the confidence you get from it. When you start putting it into practice and hold your first conversation with other speakers, your self esteem will gets a huge boost without you even noticing!
Nowadays, many companies are doing business globally, and international companies value employees who are able to communicate in more than one language. Additionally, for those of us who love travelling, this could increase the chance of getting selected to go to other countries based on the ability to speak a foreign language. The competition for jobs can be high. When shortlisted against a number of other applicants, the ability to speak a second language will make you stand out from the rest!
Learning a language has many benefits for the brain, especially that it can improve our ability to think and our memory. You’ll also find that after learning a one new language, it’s much easier to learn others, and so you start the happiness cycle all over again!
