Here’s Why You Should Expand Your Horizons and Learn a Language
Open your world to new cultures, people and places.
According to The Free Dictionary, to expand one’s horizons is to seek out new experiences, especially if they’ve been limited. When it comes to language learning, one does exactly this.
Learning languages isn’t just about reciting grammar rules, remembering new vocabulary and listening exercises. As cheesy as it sounds, learning a new language can help you explore a whole new world.
Let’s see how learning a new language can expand your knowledge in culture, people, places.
Travelling made easier
The benefits of travelling are tenfold. However, when you travel with language expertise then the benefits are boundless. You will no longer become exhausted by misinterpretations but excited and full of curious contemplations!
Travelling is made easier because the fear of trying to speak and failing doesn’t take such an effect. Rather, you immerse yourself and expand your horizons by not only experiencing new cultures, beliefs, insights but embracing them fully. Plus, the people you speak with will respect you more when attempting to practice with them in their language.
Connecting with other people
It’s important to learn a language as it can help you to strengthen connections with people. The act of speaking with others in their language is advantageous in your self-confidence and capacity to connect.
It will facilitate a deeper understanding with other people and expand your horizons in cultural adaptation. When you adapt to someone’s language, they become more open and at ease with you so you are able to blossom a more meaningful relationship.
As Nelson Mandela says:
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.”
Increased focus
Studies show that bilingual brains have an increased attention span and ability to focus. So, learning a language will not only develop new parts of your brain but it’ll also strengthen your capacity work for extended periods of time. By just taking an hour a day to learn a new skill, you’ll also train your brain for the long-run!
Improving self-control
When language learning, you’ll need to exercise a certain amount of self-discipline and be determined by goal setting. This can be a common reason why people don’t bother to learn something new in the first place. It may feel that imposing this regulation on yourself at first is difficult, but it will expand your horizons in other areas in life. By starting to regulate your new hobby, you might become more focused and driven in other new experiences and areas of your life.
We all have self-control problems from time to time — especially in this technology driven day and age. Use learning a new language to train the brain and become more adaptable in other situations too. Train yourself and you will open your horizons to many magical moments.
What are you waiting for?
Language learning will always offer an array of new experiences that maybe other topics don’t. From travelling and becoming more focused to forming deeper connections with people and improving self-control, one can expand their horizons in many areas of life by embarking on the journey of learning a language.
We promise you, it’ll be worth it.
