When you look around at your environment, you will notice more nationalities surrounding you in school, at work, and in places you shop or visit.  There are so many different cultures and languages that exist in our nation.  Nowadays, having a second language in your household is becoming more common and necessary. According to statista.com, “As of 2019, about 4456 percent of California’s population was speaking a language other than English at home.”  There are many benefits for those who can speak other languages from better employment, income, travel, and education opportunities.

First, one benefit of being bilingual is having the ability to communicate.  Being able to help others communicate and understand what they are trying to say is important in areas which have a vast range of cultures and languages. In addition, knowing other languages can increase your chances having more job opportunities either in large companies, small businesses, or even your own businesses. According to schwartzinsgrp.com, “Studies have shown that bilingual employees can earn between 5% and 20% more money per hour than those who speak only one language.”

Another benefit would be traveling.  Knowing another language makes it easier and more enjoyable to explore cities and countries around the world. Being bilingual helps you understand the culture to its fullest. In addition to being able to read and understand the signs, maps, and menus, you can also communicate with the locals in their native tongue, which makes sparking new friendships a lot easier. Not to mention, the challenge of navigating a new country and overcoming its language barriers is hugely rewarding.

Lastly, you will have a greater creative mind. According to berlitz.com, “One of the tools that are most widely used to understand creativity is a test known as the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT). The TTCT was first introduced in 1962 by Ellis Paul Torrance and measures an individual’s capacity for what’s referred to as “divergent thinking” in four key areas: fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration. Divergent thinking is essentially how well and how quickly your mind can problem-solve. A study conducted by the University of Mashhad compared a group of bilinguals on the TTCT with their monolingual counterparts. The results clearly showed that bilinguals performed better than the monolinguals in each of the TTCT’s four measures. Some reasons for this could be that bilinguals are often faced with situations where they must consider multiple perspectives, which can affect problem-solving ability. Bilinguals are also better at handling distractions, holding information, and multi-tasking which allows them to focus on coming up with creative solutions.”

Though a new language is not something easy to learn, it would definitely help in the long run.  Studies show that children learn languages faster, but do not let that deter you if you want to learn a new language.  There are many opportunities to teach yourself through many available programs or join classes to help you learn.  Take on the challenge and reap the benefits that will come your way by knowing another language.