The ability to communicate through language is one of the most important things that defines us as humans. But for some people, language learning essentially stops after they learn to speak their own native tongue at a young age - or, for others, once they finish their required foreign language courses in high school or college. This is especially common in America, where learning languages other than English can seem like an unnecessary luxury or an academic exercise.
This attitude risks severely limiting the horizons of your world, and missing out on one of the most rewarding experiences of life: making connections with people that are different from you. The ability to speak foreign languages opens up opportunities to connect with millions, even hundreds of millions, of people from other countries - as well as people from other cultures in your own country. For example, according to U.S. Census data, over 20% of American households speak a language other than English at home - including over 13% that speak Spanish at home.
Foreign language skills can also make travel abroad infinitely more rewarding. If you’ve spent time in a country where you don’t speak the language, you know how painful and embarrassing it is to be able to communicate only through facial expressions, body language, and a handful of poorly-pronounced phrases for ordering food at restaurants. Being able to speak the right language, even at a medium level of ability, opens up the possibility of making friends, understanding cultural nuances, and exploring new places “like a local.”
Whether you want to expand your personal map of the world, open doors to new career paths, or just experience the joy of cross-cultural connection, the ability to learn new languages is an indispensable ability. And, thanks to online courses and other tools, opportunities for language learning are more accessible than ever.