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IS THE YEAR TO LEARN
A NEW LANGUAGE
2017 WHY
2016 felt pretty bleak,
didn’t it?
2016 felt pretty bleak,
didn’t it?
It sure did.
2017 is a chance to turn things around, and
we believe languages can play a part in the effort.
Learning a new language is proven to develop
qualities and skills the world desperately needs.
Learning a new language is proven to develop
qualities and skills the world desperately needs.
Empathy
Botching conjugations and brandishing your
ridiculous accent, you develop empathy. You start to
see that the world looks different, depending on
where you stand and what you speak.
- Lauren Collins, PBS
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A study indicates that children who speak multiple languages are better at understanding other people.
Even those who are simply exposed to another language in their daily lives reap
this benefit!
For millennia, multilingual exposure has been the
norm. Our study shows that such an environment
may facilitate the development of perspective-taking
tools that are critical for effective communication.
- University of Chicago
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Tolerance
Learning a new language improves tolerance
The exposure to a new way of speaking and thinking makes people more receptive to other cultures and
to the unknown.
Language learners become comfortable with the
unfamiliar confronting it with
excitement rather than fear or suspicion.
Entrepreneurship
Those with higher tolerance for ambiguity have also been
found to be more entrepreneurial!
People who’ve learned another language tend to be more innovative and don’t mind taking
risks, assets for anyone running a start-up.
Critical Thinking
A study completed last year showed that people thinking in a
foreign language were more likely to consider a question
more slowly and analytically than in their native language.
- Huffington Post
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Studies show that multilinguals can better resist conditioning techniques. This makes them less likely to be swayed by
such language in advertisements or political campaign speeches.”
In the world of “fake news” and media bias, it’s important to think critically, ask the right questions, and form
educated opinions.
Communication
How much do you know about the subjunctive mood or past conditional tense? Probably not too much,
unless you’ve studied another language.
Language learners become more aware of their own language, helping them write and speak more clearly—both of
which are critical skills in a time that needs more open dialogue.
Just as important: it’s been shown that those who’ve learned another language are also better listeners.
Why does it matter?
Being a better global citizen isn’t just a feel-good ideal; it’s a
responsibility shared by us all, and one that especially English speakers in the United States could do better.
The federal government is struggling “to find representatives with enough language expertise to
serve in diplomatic, military, and cultural missions around the world”.
And language isn’t restricted to “international” fields like business, diplomacy, and politics. Language is finding its way into nearly
every major industry health care, hospitality, law
enforcement, customer service, finance, journalism, and beyond.
With people, information and capital flowing more freely than ever,
the ability to think critically across different societies, to communicate
in different languages and to form connections with a variety of people
internationally is becoming more important than ever.
- Dr. Abraham Kim, MTPR
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Our language capabilities are at the heart of our ability to communicate, collaborate, and compete in today’s world, at
the individual, community, and national levels.
Ready to start learning? We’ve got 100 languages to choose from.
Learn a language on your own.
Teach a language in your classroom.
Offer language learning at your library.
