Hola, ¿como está?: 3 Benefits of Learning a Second Language

As communication majors, we’re used to hearing many phrases, one of which goes something like this: we live in a globalized world. With social media and increased travel options, it has become easier to connect with national neighbors. This has opened us up to more cultures and more languages. In this post, I will give three reasons why anyone, including communication majors, should learn a second language. 1. It’s easier to communicate When in a crunch, trying to speak through a translator just adds a frustrating step to an already difficult process. As communication professionals, we must navigate the nuances of international culture differences (COMM 216, anyone?). Add in language barriers, and all its complications, can create the perfect environment for miscommunication. If you learn a second language, you can skip a translator. This can create a better relationship with foreign partners and can make proofing messages, advertisements or press releases much easier. 2. It can expose you to more resources Imagine you’re working for a company trying to work with a country overseas on advertising a product. You’re trying to find out consumer opinions on your country or the product you’re trying to advertise, but the only articles you can find are in Spanish. What are you going to do? Work through Google Translate? Find a friend or coworker who knows Spanish? A way to circumvent this process is by knowing the language. For immediate knowledge of consumer information, looking through resources with the country in question is the best option, and often features the necessity to work with a foreign language. Not only newspapers but also research documents, proposals, emails and competitive company resources all fit into the resource category. 3. It’s fun Sure, the grammar, tests and essays associated with language classes can are difficult and tedious, but when all is said and done, learning a language is very rewarding. It’s always fun to be out in public, listening to music or watching TV and being able to understand another language. Besides, this doesn’t have to be a work-related task – learning a language is just as applicable if you love to travel. Learning a language immerses you into another culture, its history and its traditions, which can really increase our awareness of the world. Learning a language is hard, don’t get me wrong. But the long-term benefits are worth it. Here are some links to resources you can use to jumpstart your language-learning mastery: Duolingo: This free website guides you through activities to learn a variety of languages, including Spanish, French, Italian and more. New languages are always being added. Babbel: Like Duolingo, Babbel is an online-language learning site. However, unlike Duolingo, this site isn’t free – you must pay for a membership, but when you consider the long-term benefits, it’s worth the cost. Rosetta Stone: Tried and true, Rosetta Stone is one of the most common names in language learning software. It’s on the pricier side, but with its rave reviews spanning two decades, you can be sure you get what you pay for. NDSU Language Classes: NDSU offers classes in Spanish, French, German and Arabic. The classes range from first-year to advanced courses.