If you had a dollar for every time you said “I’d love to speak another language, but…” you could use that money to sign up for language training classes. Sure, you eat in that Italian restaurant, wear Egyptian cotton and drive a German automobile. But how much do you really know about the cultures or their language? It doesn’t really count if you know English (the second most common language in the world) apart from your mother tongue. Face it, English qualifies only as a universal language but not as a foreign language. On that note, here are some good reasons for and advantages of learning a foreign language.

1. Have you ever wanted to be one of those people in the airport taking “business trips to foreign countries? That could be you. Learning a foreign language opens up an entirely new career avenue and can majorly increase your employment prospects. The world is ever changing. More and more big companies have begun investments in dozens of countries around the world. This requires them to hire people who have worldly knowledge, the ability to adjust and can speak a local language fluently. Even in smaller companies, ability to speak a foreign language fluently will set you apart from other applicants.
2. Speaking a second language every day can keep your doctor away! Numerous studies point towards the cognitive benefits of learning another language. It indicates that learning a new language can give your brain a boost. Improved memory, better attention span, and reduced risk of age-related cognitive decline are some of the positive effects of speaking more than two languages. Also, some studies reveal that thinking in a foreign language and making a decision, sharpens your brain.
3. Travelling just got easier for you. Not only will you be able to speak to the locals fluently but you will attain a changed perspective of their culture. Language and culture are intimately interlinked. So the knowledge of one gives insight into the other. This experience carries value for you, as a traveler. Awww, look at the wanderlust in you getting excited.
4. Learning a new language makes you a better learner. With every improvement, you learn a new way to understand things and grasp ideas more efficiently. You develop hacks to understand better. This kind of repeated trial and error policy will give you extensive knowledge on what works and what doesn’t. You will learn your own inefficiencies and figure out a way to eliminate them.
5. If a person who doesn’t speak the same first language as you attempts to speak the language and struggled to find the right words, what would you instantly do? You’d help them with words and teach them the right sentence formation. When the roles are reversed, they’d do the same with you. This helps you get over the fear of looking dumb and venturing into new avenues.

What more are you waiting for? If you are confused about where to begin, here’s the kick start. French is a great language to learn. It’s foreign, it has the same script as English, and also, it has an exotic feel to it. You can now sign up for French Online Training and make yourself seem flamboyant.