Living with Languages in a Multilingual World

        written by 20114 Oh Seo Ah

     

Do you speak, write or read in more than one language? If so, have you taken advantage of your knowledge of speaking multiple languages? 

Language serves an essential function in human communication, conveying emotions, opinions and memories. It lets people interact with each other. 

Speaking multiple languages is a common phenomenon these days, however, a lot of us still question the necessity of acquiring various languages in our lives. 

What Is Multilingualism?

Today, there are over 7,000 languages spoken across the world. Along with English, the 

United Nations has Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish and Arabic as their official languages. In today’s globalized world, linguistic diversity can be a problem that makes communication difficult in many areas. 

However, multilingualism, the ability to be fluent in multiple languages, is proving to be a cultural asset that benefits people to be connected. 

According to ilanguages, more than half of the world can speak more than one language fluently, and the rate of multilingualism is increasing rapidly. 

Living in a world surrounded by multiple languages, there are certainly lots of positive effects on being multilingual. 

Multilingualism Is a Superpower

We all know that people nowadays are able to speak multiple languages, but the real question is how being multilingual profits us in today’s world. 

We can just think that learning languages is just beneficial for living abroad or traveling somewhere, but it also has beneficial impacts on our mental health. 

According to the National Library of Medicine, being able to speak multiple languages is a great way to aid long-term brain health.​​ Data is proving that knowing more than one language can delay brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s by four to six years. 

Being multilingual improves working memory and attention levels, and it is only to be expected that multilingual students also perform better at school.

Speaking various languages opens new horizons to friendships, cultures and life opportunities. Furthermore, multilingualism improves overall communication skills, serving as the bridge of interactions. 

Living in a Multilingual World

Learning a new language is a gift for ourselves, which makes us obtain lasting benefits. It is 

actually never too early or too late to learn another language.

Now that we understand the value of multilingualism, why don’t we embrace more language diversity in our lives starting from now on?