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Doors of opportunity open when you embark on the challenge of learning a foreign language, especially those languages that are widely used in the world around us, such as Spanish, Arabic, French, German, etc.

Communicating in another language besides your native one allows you the ability to travel and explore other parts of the world without the uncertainty and awkardness that language barriers create. You are able to ask for directions, inquire of others when you need information, read signs, brochures, billboards, maps, newspapers, menus in restaurants, and other printed material, and thoroughly enjoy your travels more than you would without the ability to speak the language of the people living in the area you are exploring. Visiting tourist attractions, exploring local hotspots, and attending events in foreign countries are more fun and thrilling when you can communicate and interact with those around you and get the most out of what these places and events have to offer.

With the acquisition of a new language, you gain the opportunity to meet and learn from people who primarily speak that specific language, people you may not have been able to interact with as well had you not taken the time to learn and become proficient with the language they speak. There is no better way to learn about the cultures of the world than first-hand through those who identify with those cultures.

Bilingual abilities can signify a great deal of job opportunities that are not available to those who speak a single language. In current economic times, finding a job can prove to be very difficult, so it is important to do everything you can to acquire skills to help yourself stand out amongst other applicants. If you can speak two or more languages, you are an asset to most any company, in most any line of work as you can communicate with and translate for those who speak a foreign language. With bilingual employees, a company can expand their business and reach customers that they wouldn't have been able to reach otherwise. In the global economy of today, the businesses who survive and grow are those who expand and/or develop a customer base all over the world. Bilingual employees are currently in high demand and will continue to be in the future.

Even if you are not planning to travel or are not worried about job security or opportunity, there are still many benefits to learning a foreign language. Learning a foreign language increases your vocabulary and linguistic skills as you learn new sounds and words. Your listening skills are also improved as you learn to distinguish between new sounds and sounds you had previously mastered. You become more flexible in your thinking and better understand your native language as you consider ideas in more than one language and learn to distinguish between two languages.

When you think about it, there are really no reasons to not learn a new language; you have everything to gain and nothing to lose. You will have greater job opportunities, traveling to countries where you new language is spoken will become more enjoyable, and your overall linguistic skills will improve significantly. Learning a foreign language is a key to opportunity, a skill that is very useful in the inter-connected world we live in today.

Learn more about this author, Olivia Kay.
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