What is the basis of human civilization?  Some people might say food, or the stories passed down from one generation to the next.  But I submit that the basis is something even more fundamental than all of this.  The ability to communicate is the single simplest building block of all parts of every culture around the world.  If you’re reading this, I assume you know English.  That means you’re probably from the United States.  For a country that’s so internationally involved, it’s amazing to think that the greater proportion of the population only knows English – and as the internet grows smaller, this is far from an advantageous situation.   So why learn a language?  Aside from the business-related concerns I mentioned, there are many advantages to be had from learning a second language (or more!).

The biggest advantage is, in my opinion, the mental exercise given to you by learning a language.  The language center of your brain is actually separate from other parts, and utilizes almost all parts of your brain when activated.  All exercises strengthen your memory, your problem solving ability, and teach you to think in a totally different way.  Make no mistake though; learning a language is far from easy.  Just being exposed to it when you are little is the easiest way – at that point your brain is very receptive to info.  As you get older this receptivity decreases, little by little every year.  Thankfully though, you can regain some of this potential – by studying a language.  Your mind, while not being a muscle, works a lot like one – use it or lose it.  So exercise your whole mind at one time!

Another great advantage comes from how language and culture are intertwined.  The easiest way to explain this is in a chicken and egg phenomenon – culture came out of language and language came out of culture.  You can’t fully “get” one without the other.  Up until this point this probably sounds like a bad thing – but rest assured, it’s not.  This interconnectedness makes cultural studies easier.  So by learning a language it is easy to develop a heightened understanding and appreciation of other cultures.  And of course interpersonal interactions are made much easier if both parties understand one another.

So where to start?  The internet is your best resource – you can find language partners, tutorials, and lessons for free in a vast number of sites on the internet.  So then, what language to start with?  If you’re an English speaker, Spanish or French are the easiest to learn.  Try to choose a language which you’ll have chances to use in real life – this means that for many Americans Spanish is the best choice.  If you really want to challenge yourself though, learn Japanese or Korean.  Korean writing is the simplest to learn in the world, while Japanese pronunciation is extremely easy.  As I mentioned though, the cultures connected to these are radically different – and the languages are too.  The best option though is to find a language you’re enthusiastic about – it’ll make the experience that much more enjoyable!

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