Learning a foreign language is a difficult but rewarding endeavor. Not only will you enrich your world, you will also improve your brain power and increase your employability. Refusing to learn a foreign language narrows your world – not only because it limits your communication with people, but because it denies you the opportunity to truly appreciate all the world has to offer. Below are three benefits of learning a foreign language.
Increase Employability
In this competitive world, it is important to make yourself stand out. Due to constantly advancing technology, our world is growing smaller over time. Our economy has become a globalized one, networking with companies and clients all over the world. Being able to speak another language will allow you to interact with more people, making you a valuable asset to any business. Many employers will pay an annual salary premium to those who are able to speak an additional language.
Exercise Your Brain
Studying a foreign language alters the gray matter in the brain much like exercise strengthens muscles. Gray matter, responsible for processing information, sends communication signals from the brain to the rest of the body. Research shows that students who study additional languages receive higher scores on standardized testing, such as the SAT and ACT – specifically in math, reading and vocabulary. Those who know an additional language also have a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease.
Learn Culture
It is nearly impossible to learn a foreign language without learning a bit about the culture from which it came. Every language has different idioms that are used, which don’t really make sense unless you understand the history of the phrase. Literature, art, movies, food, music and the like are all part of a society’s culture. Most of the time, you need to understand the language in order to truly embrace the things a society cares about.
Begin your study of a foreign language today! Mountain Heights Academy offers Spanish and American Sign Language as part of their course catalog. Mountain Heights Academy allows flexible study and high quality courses, making them an excellent choice as an online high school.