By the time they were probably around eight and nine, my cousins that lived in Mexico could speak near fluent English. I, only a couple years behind them in age, could list maybe a few foods, animals, and say a basic greeting in Spanish. As the years went on, their English grew at an exponential rate; however, my Spanish skills remained embarrassingly weak. I’ve heard them have conversations on concepts such as morality, science, and technology, in a language that was once foreign to them. I’ve been learning Spanish since kindergarten, but I’m still at the level of basic conversational skills. In my elementary school, we learned the same thing every year. A is for abeja, o is for oso. Sure, it helps to reiterate the same words and phrases for memorization, but it definitely didn’t help when it came to catching up to my cousins in fluency. 

It’s hard to teach American kids a second language. We just don’t see the importance in it. Mainstream media is mostly in English. Unlike kids from other countries, the fact of Western dominance in business and culture isn’t so heavily drilled into us because we are the ones who gain from it. My cousins were taught English because it is known that it’s the language for international communication, and they would need it if they ever wanted to study or get a job abroad. I had an exchange student in one of my classes, and he spoke more or less, four different languages. Living in Europe, where so many countries are so close together, you almost have to know all those languages. But if there’s no business or cultural necessity to it, why should we as Americans spend the time to learn a new language? 

It’s because there are so many benefits to learning another language, one being the neurological gain. It improves memory, focus, and forms new neural connections. Research has shown that “People who speak a second language regularly perform better on memory tests than monolingual people,” as well as that it “protects older [language] learners against dementia and other degenerative neurological conditions.” Practicing a foreign language is like an exercise for your brain; it may be difficult at first but it will help you in the long run. It helps improve foundational skills like memory, and can help you academically. 

Of course, being fluent in another language gives you a better cultural understanding — and it can also open the door for new opportunities. What better way is there to understand another culture than to put yourself in their shoes and speak their language? Researchers have concluded that, “when students learn another language, they develop new ways of understanding culture through analyzing cultural stereotypes.” Studying native speakers so closely provides more insight onto different cultures that we may have not been exposed to, and it pushes us to think critically about differences and assumptions that the culture carries.

 And of course, it doesn’t hurt to have bilingual on your resume when applying for an especially competitive job. A business and language website noted that when speaking a second language, “you possess a competitive advantage over your monolingual peers.” Employers want someone that can communicate across all boards and help expand their business horizons. Speaking a second language gives you the capacity to do that, and so much more when in the workforce.

Learning a language doesn’t have to be a dreary subject forced on you at school. Take advantage of the opportunities you have been given to learn something new. Once you shift your mindset, and realize that learning another language is both beneficial and beautiful, then it won’t seem like such a chore. The words you once heard that sounded like jumbled gibberish will start to make sense. So open up that textbook or download Duolingo, and remember that learning a second language provides new opportunities, new ways of looking at the word, and overall just strengthens the mind.