Communication - the ultimate equalizer regardless of socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, etc. background. A majority of the world reverts to English as the means of basic communication for business and commercial purposes. There is a hierarchy placed upon the English language that is quite odd when you think about most corporate negotiation rooms. How cool would it be to be able to always converse in the native tongue with those from non-native English speaking countries and backgrounds? I wonder how different a blog post of mine would even turn out if I opted to write them in another language instead. I’ll save that for another time maybe.

I’ve been a fond advocate of those who know or want to learn multiple languages. There is something fascinating that happens to the brain and one’s perception of self and others that radically transform as a result of learning multiple languages. It’s almost as if there are more layers to the Dual Actor’s Mentality that I’ve discussed than originally anticipated. Every language has an associated quality of life tied to it that permeates into one’s personality. I’m sure you can relate to that if you think about how your physical being and thought process structure adapt to the language you are speaking in.

Leading a multilingual life has so many added benefits as it opens up multiple doors left and right. Let’s take a look at some of these benefits:

1. Expanded Cognitive Abilities

   Learning another language has proven to increase a multitude of cognitive abilities, such as improved memory, problem solving skills, multitasking, and listening. Being able to take the difference in language structures has allowed multilingual individuals to adapt to competing forces in their environments and devise creative and flexible solutions. If anything, leading a multilingual life can delay the mental aging process and keep your brain active and healthy for the long-term.

2. Becoming a Polyglot

   The best part about languages is the fact so many of them are so similar. Once you learn one language, say for instance Spanish, the doors open up to learning more languages given the similarities in words and language structures. At the same time, once you pick up a second language, you prime your brain and the neural networks to learn more and new languages. The possibilities are truly endless once you take the first step to becoming bilingual.

3. Travelling

   Most people get the sage advice to get the authentic living experience from your travel and vacation destinations by embarking on maybe a lesser known part of the country. Unfortunately, this typically will mean that the locals there won’t know any English. By learning the local language, you can increase your travel experience and further stretch your travel budget as well. If you can’t learn the local language prior to travelling, knowing other languages will still prove beneficial since some countries speak multiple languages depending upon the geographic region and you might be able to pick up on bits and pieces of the native language based on language similarities.

4. Advanced Career Opportunities

   In a world that is more connected than ever - just take a look at how many Zoom meetings you’ve had this week - there is an increased need to communicate with individuals from different countries. By knowing another language, your career options and value increase due to your ability to help strengthen your organization’s international relationships potentially.

5. Broadened Perspective

   Arguably my favorite aspect of learning new languages, you gain a better understanding for the world and the similarities and differences between cultures. The cultural traditions tied to one specific language open up an entire new perspective in terms of how people live day to day and view the world. You’d be amazed at how one’s lifestyle is dictated by language. One of my favorite lifestyle choices tied to both language and country culture is the Spanish siesta!

Now this is only a small glimpse into the benefits of learning multiple languages. You truly expand upon the greatest human quality, in my opinion, by embarking on a journey to learn another language: empathy. Understanding others through the true needs of other cultures through language allows for you to gain a greater appreciation for the world that we live in.

Language can be a great indicator for behavior and thought patterns. Our every physical act and physical thought (yes, you read that right) are colored as a result of how language perceives their own building blocks. One language, such as English, may look at the relative value of a verb when constructing a sentence whereas another language, say for instance Russian, looks at the absolute spatial relationship of a verb in constructing sentences or phrases. This difference then permeates out into how thoughts and actions come to be for people of different linguistic foundations.

In learning to lead a multilingual life, you’ll be able to pick up on these differences from language and apply them to your own livelihood. It’s the desire to expand your awareness for the differences that can enrich your life perspective. Perspective is always a difficult concept to grasp and even harder to manage in general. I’ve found that languages provide you the ability to go deep into defining and reshaping perspective as well as the ability to zoom out and see it for what it is. It’s as great a tool as there is to further craft out your own perspective on life from my experience.

Above perspective, it’s the fundamental ability to connect. In a world that’s as connected as ever before, we still find ourselves disconnected from our own humanity. Multilingualism can provide the grounds for finding special and unbeknownst connections that can satiate all of our desires to belong. Imagine a life where language didn’t exist. Scary thought huh? Now look at how many connections opened up to you in the learning of your native tongue. Crazy, right? Leading a multilingual life can exponentially increase our abilities to connect and gain further perspective and camaraderie with our own humanity.