5 Benefits of Learning a New Language

1. Communication/ Cultural Understanding
   Communication plays an important role in our lives and one way to connect with others is through dialogue. For instance, being able to speak the language when traveling is helpful to be able to connect with others.  Although there are many ways to appreciate one's culture, being able to speak the language is beneficial when building that connection and understanding. History and culture is often reflected in the language. By learning a new language, it can expand one's view of the world as it may provide insight into the culture of those from around the world.
2. Stimulates your brain
   Learning a new language can be challenging as each foreign language has its own system of rules, structures, grammar, etc. As our brains work out the meaning to be able to communicate, we develop key learning skills such as cognitive thinking and problem-solving. For instance, the left hemisphere of the brain is highly involved in language processing. 
   
   
3. Improvements in your first language
   When learning a foreign language, some people find that they are  usually more self conscious of what they already know in their first language. As a result, one can become more aware of the differences in structure,  vocabulary, grammar and how phrases/sentences are formed  between the two languages as there is often translation required.  Through the opportunities for conversation, comprehension and learning it is likely that the individual will become more confident in their first language. 
   
   
4. Broaden career opportunities
   Depending on the nature and field of work, learning a new language can be beneficial for expanding an individual's career opportunities.
   
   
5. Increases self-esteem
   Learning is a lifelong process and when speaking a new language, mistakes may be quite common. However, with extra practice, there will be improvements and just like learning a new skill,  the individual becomes more proficient in the language.  

Learning a new language can be a great start to opening up other opportunities!  Here are a few e-resources  Markham Public Library offers to support you in your learning journey: 

• Mango Languages - A popular online language-learning system that focuses on  teaching conversation skills for a wide variety of languages
• Little PIM - An online resource suitable for babies, toddlers and children which features learning opportunities in the following languages:  Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish 
• Udemy - English language learning opportunities for business