International Translation Day draws attention to the work that language professionals do to bridge the communication gap between cultures and the role interpreters and online language tutors play in bringing the world together.
English might be the lingua franca in the US, but it’s hardly the go-to mode of communication for the rest of the world. In Türkiye, for instance, you’ll have difficulty finding someone who speaks your native language. They have grown up speaking, writing, and studying in Turkish mode, and only 17% of them can speak English.
Keep on reading to learn the importance of learning a second language within and outside an academic setting at Miles Smart Tutoring.
Exercise for Your Brain
By seeking a private tutor for second language learning, you wouldn’t just be creating a way to understand the speakers of that language. You would also be helping yourself.
Learning another language boosts your brain, growing the gray matter within. When you learn a mode of communication with different grammar and phonotactic rules than your own, you exercise the muscles on both sides of your brain and delay the onset of age-related conditions like Alzheimer’s.
Better Job Prospects
Gone are the days when people were obligated to learn English to communicate with the world. Diversity has become a top priority as various non-English-speaking countries struggle to save their dying languages.
The US job market is no different. Nowadays, candidates know that when they mention more than one language in their resume, they have a better chance of scoring an interview. This is because the problem-solving skills and creativity one acquires from learning another language aren’t found in their monolingual counterparts.
No More Lost in Translation
You have to deal with untranslatability when it comes to a foreign language. Since some foreign words and phrases don’t translate well into English, they are replaced with interpretations. This might help you understand the context, but it’s never an accurate representation of the untranslatable word(s).\\\\\\\\\\
Language and culture are interconnected, you see. When you learn one, you automatically learn the other. That’s when a Mandarin phrase like jiā yóu (add oil) starts sounding like a cheer. In other words, it’s only when you come to learn that language that you realize how other cultures perceive the world.
Better Decision-Making Skills
According to a study published in Scientific American, individuals make better decisions in a second or foreign language than in their native tongue. This will make more sense when you understand the bias and emotional responses associated with the first language.
The study attempts to explain this through profanity. Uttering an offensive word in your native tongue hits harder than uttering an offensive word in a language you didn’t learn concurrently with your native tongue.
In other words, you’re more clear-headed and objective in a second or foreign language and, therefore, more likely to make good decisions.
Confidence Booster
Learning a second language can be a real confidence booster for those afraid of making mistakes. For instance, when I started learning French, I would practice it with native speakers. At first, they would give me a funny glance as if to say, “What in the Emily in Paris is this?” However, as my French got better, so did the reactions I got from its speakers.
All that to say, making mistakes is par for the course, and nothing teaches that better than learning a language. Additionally, making a full conversation with people in their language can do wonders for your confidence.
Improved Academic Performance
Ask any online SAT tutor, and they’ll tell you that memory is an important skill to have if you want to score high enough to get into college. When you learn a language, you train your brain to understand, memorize, and recall grammar rules and lexis. The more you do that, the better you’ll remember things.
This would also reflect in other areas of your studies. With better retention, you can easily pass any difficult subjects.
Take the First Step: Join Miles Smart Tutoring
Sign up for group or one-on-one tutoring at Miles Smart Tutoring to exercise your brain’s memory center. Learn French, Latin, Mandarin, Spanish, or English as a Second Language (ESL) with the best online tutoring services. Next, hire a private math or ASVAB test tutor, and use your new and improved memory for better academic performance.
Get in touch for further assistance.
About the Author
Oliver Russell teaches English as a Foreign Language (EFL) to Spanish speakers. A learner at heart, Russell has so far reached a surface-level understanding of several languages, including Spanish, French, Mandarin, and High Valyrian (ha!). He spends his free time escaping the tourist bubble and watching foreign-language movies.
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