Multilingual means having the ability to speak various languages fluently.
It is a skill many parents look to teach their children as they have a better capacity to pick up the different languages, and it can help them greatly in later life. However many people are choosing to pick up a second language as adults to further their knowledge.
So what are the benefits to being multilingual?
Benefits
There are many benefits to learning a new language, whether it is for personal or professional reasons. If it is for professional, it will ease business relationships, a skill which our team of professional translators know plenty about. Whilst for personal reasons it makes going on holiday in your chosen country much easier!
Those who are young and are learning a second language can improve their cognitive skills whilst senior people can delay the onset of Alzheimers or other neurological issues. In addition, learning a second language can improve decision making abilities as well as encourage greater career potential!
There are millions of people around the world who speak more than one language, even some celebrities.
Celebrity Multi-linguals
There are many examples of our much loved celebrities who are bilingual such as Ben Affleck and Bradley Cooper but there are many celebrities and sports stars who speak over four different languages:
Lucy Lui – English, Mandarin, Italian and Spanish
Novak Djokovic – Serbian, English, German, Italian and French
Natalie Portman – English, Hebrew, French, Japanese, German and Arabic
Nico Rosberg – German, English, French, Italian and Spanish
Shakira – Spanish, English, Portuguese and Arabic
Often people are put off by the idea of learning a new language, thinking it is too hard but it doesn’t have to be.
Tips to learning a new language
Learning a new language can be challenging, but here are some hints and tips to help make it easier:
1) Don’t be afraid to make mistakes
When learning a new language you are bound to make mistakes, but this is ok! Don’t be embarrassed to make mistakes, this is is how we all learn.
2) Practice Practice Practice
Whether this is speaking to a fellow language speaker, writing our practice post cards or visiting the country (an excuse for a holiday)! Make sure you don’t leave it too long between each learning session. Take time to practice at home between classes & study everyday to make sure you remember and keep it fresh in your memory.
3) Speak to a mother tongue speaker
If you can, find someone who has a mother tongue in the language you are learning whether it is a colleague or family member. This way you can practice on them without getting too embarrassed.
4) Carry a dictionary
This way if you forget a word or don’t know a word whilst you are in conversation, you can quickly find the word you are looking for.
Learning a new language and becoming multilingual can both be enjoyable and hugely rewarding whether it is for business or pleasure. There are thousands of languages out there to learn, where will you start?
If you were to learn a new language, what would it be? Let us know in the comments below…