by Aaratrika Sarkar (6th)

Well, start thinking about it, because you should PROBABLY learn a new language after I show you why, and how! There are many reasons you should, and they’re all accessible to everyone. There are even thousands of languages to pick from.

First of all, let’s talk about the pros of learning a new language. 

●     It may delay or even prevent the chances of any form of Dementia. There was a study in which researchers studied 134 people who were on the edge of getting Alzheimer’s disease. 48.51% of the people were either bilingual or multilingual, and the study showed that those who were multilingual or bilingual delayed the disease by 4 years!!

●     A second language is proven to improve your grades in math and English, and may possibly get you a higher score on the SAT and the GRE.

●     Many more job opportunities open up to you from learning a second language.

●     It helps with long-term and short-term memory.

These are convincing reasons, but what language should you study? If you’re unsure what languages to learn at the moment, here are some of the best languages to learn:

●     Mandarin. Even though it’s a rather hard language to learn for an English speaker, don’t let that stop you, it’s not impossible. Over a billion people speak it, so you would be able to communicate with some other billion people.

●     Hindi. I used to learn Hindi, but eventually quit. But that doesn’t mean you have to, too. I quit because I didn’t enjoy learning the language, but if you have an interest, then definitely start learning.

●     Spanish. You all saw this coming. Spanish holds a place in #4 for the most popular language in the world, and is one of the easiest languages to learn, as you can reach basic fluency within 3-5 days.

●     French. Because French is a Romance language, learning it can also help you learn other Romance languages.

●     Russian. Despite its current political state, it doesn’t make it less important to learn.

●     Arabic. Arabic is the official language of 23 countries, so you’d be able to communicate with so many people.

●     Japanese. Learning Japanese would open up so many more business opportunities. Japan has one of the best education systems in the world, so learning Japanese can get you into a school that has the best education systems in the world.

There’s definitely more languages, but these are some of the web’s recommendations. Now you know why you should learn a new language, and IF you know what language you want to learn, you’re probably wondering how. There are many methods, but consider what works best for you. This isn’t about how your friend might learn, but how you would. Some method include the following:

●     Talk to native speakers. Ask them for advice and feedback, it doesn’t have to be that hard.

●     Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, they help you learn, just make sure you learn from that mistake.

●     Use online resources. We have so many resources many didn’t have in the past, it’d be a shame to not use it for a use.

●     If you’re like me, and you like to be entertained while learning, watch TV shows or movies in the foreign language you desire to learn. You’re not only learning the language, but also learning more about their culture.

●     Start from the beginning. Start where elementary schoolers start, starting off with the alphabet, slight introduction to grammar rules, simple words, or daily words, pronunciation, or stuff like that. It may be embarrassing, but it’s the only way to start.

●     PRACTICE!! You won’t get anywhere without practicing! Practice whenever you can!

●     Listen to podcasts. I use it, and it really helps.

●     Use traditional study methods. They’re old school, but some of the best ones.

But of course, not every method works for every person. For me, online resources may not always be the best option for me, but I know that I can count on my notecards. Just because something doesn’t work for you, doesn’t mean there aren’t several other options!

In conclusion, there are so many reasons to learn language, and so many to choose from and so many methods to help you learn effectively!! I hope you’re having a hard time choosing which language to choose. But then again, you can learn so many languages and become a polyglot, AND! The best part, you can brag to your friends about it!!