I recently read an article about the benefits of language. It was about language learning in Europe and the competitive advantages languages give. We think that all Europeans speak 2-3 languages so it was interesting to read that there is a push towards language learning there as well as in Australia.In 2016, as expected, English was perceived by Europeans to be by far the most useful language to know (68%). French (25%) and German (22%) follow next almost side by side, and Spanish ranks fourth with a 16% share. 1 in 10 Europeans do not see the benefits of knowing any language other than their mother tongue.
There is a push in Europe, that the five main languages under an EU program (called Erasmus) are English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. A business survey showed that 89% of clients stated that multilingual employees add value to the workforce and 88% stated that recruiting team members with language skills is important to their organisation. A multilingual ability is definitely a competitive edge in today’s world. , such as a , , in addition to improving social interaction and encouraging connection between peers.
Some of the benefits of learning a language are listed below:
- It gives you a competitive edge;
- they are linked to improved intercultural skills and cultural tolerance;
- encourages social interaction;
- assists with improved concept formation, mental flexibility and the ability to multitask;
- Bilingualism can improve cognitive function;
- improves listening skills and problem-solving;
There are many benefits to learning a language. I’d love to hear your opinion. Do you agree? Should everyone learn at least one foreign language?
Some of the benefits of learning a language are listed below:
- It gives you a competitive edge;
- they are linked to improved intercultural skills and cultural tolerance;
- encourages social interaction;
- assists with improved concept formation, mental flexibility and the ability to multitask;
- Bilingualism can improve cognitive function;
- improves listening skills and problem-solving;
There are many benefits to learning a language. I’d love to hear your opinion. Do you agree? Should everyone learn at least one foreign language?
Joanne Ammerlaan is the National Manager for Vocational Language Learning Centre. She has been working with second language acquisition for over 30 years.
