On Learning A New Language - Part 2 of 3
In Part 1, I spoke about the personal challenges that I faced Find it [HERE](pascal89.svbtle.com/on-learning-a-new-language-1-of-3)
I strongly believe that English is and will remain the world’s most powerful and used lingua franca for business and for a vast majority of travelers, at least for the next century. Yet, we live in a world where people are now more conscious about discovering about themselves, connecting with other people and above all, be able to live life fully.
There are a few benefits to learning a new language. I love 3 of them and would share it with.
3 Personal Reasons Why Learning a New Language ROCK! #
(1) ❝Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.❞ - Chinese Proverb
I interpret this proverb as a valuable asset which, unless you forget, should never lose its value. Whether it is on the job market or in your future adventures, a foreign language will only appreciate in value over time.
Below are the top 3 languages which I would recommend learning, I tried not to be biased ;)
- Mandarin Chinese
- Spanish
- Arabic I’m adding one more,
- Portuguese
(2) ❝If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.❞ - Nelson Mandela
Coming from Nelson Mandela, this is indeed a profound statement. I value a lot the idea of learning a new language for the purpose of business. But on this point, it is about culture and connection. To be able to understand another society and its people, you have to be able to speak the language they speak.
Knowing a local language in a remote province of China (This example is a dialect, Hakka) could help me understand my ancestor’s history and culture much better. Simple reasons why: Perhaps, the people don’t speak English. Perhaps, their mandarin is not as fluent as you would think. Maybe, the connection created by speaking Hakka would be more intense and a better sign of respect and eagerness to listen and understand.
Speak the language and you will open up a treasure box.
(3) ❝Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going.❞ - Rita Mae Brown
This point leaves a lot of room for various interpretations, I believe. As for me, it is about evolution of language AND people altogether. It could be one’s own language (or mother tongue) or another country/ethnic group’s language.
And another thought about it is that learning a new language will improve one’s thinking skills. Learning a new language improves one’s ability to think in other people’s shoes, to analyse and interpret information through a new lens.
A new language opens door to new thinking process, mainly because of the structure. My first guess is to compare English, French and Mandarin Chinese. While English and French can be structured similarly. Mandarin Chinese takes a slightly differently approach (or very wide difference). I’m no linguist, therefore, I don’t comment.
However, new language helps to understand one’s own culture and evolution. It also helps to improve one’s emotional intelligence and ability to think.