Is a Second Language Just for Fun?

Give Your Mind a Good Work Out

Learning and using a new tongue is one of the very best mental exercises you will find. You basically need to learn hundreds of new words and lots of new grammatical rules. Some languages are easier than others for English speakers to pick up but none of them could really be classed as being easy to learn. An interesting point to look at here is that of older language students. You will often hear it said that it is more difficult for senior students to learn a language and that is in some way true. However, this sort of mental exercise can be invaluable in helping you keep your mind young and active.

Sort Out Your Career

There is no doubt that learning a new language can give you a real boost in your career. This doesn't have to come from you moving into a line of work which directly involves your new tongue. Many employers are delighted to see a candidate who has a second language on their list of skills. This shows that it is someone capable of picking up new skills and who has a broad and well researched outlook on the world and different cultures. Of course, if you want to work with the language you have learned then it can be a wonderful option for getting a more exciting job and carrying on improving your bilingual skills.

Speak to Foreign Family Members

One increasingly common reason for learning a new language is to be able to communicate freely with new members of the family. As the world's population becomes ever more geographically mobile there are an increasing number of cases of cross cultural relationships and marriages. If you have a relative who is getting married to a French speaker and you don't speak their language then you might be interested in French classes Toronto or courses other big North American cities offer. Of course, there is also the case where someone arrives to the US or Canada and needs to take English classes Calgary or other courses provided for newcomers to the country.

--By James Gooding