The Marvels of Multilingualism

The marvels of multilingualism

Aaah, good old English, considered as the lingua franca of the whole globe. Because of this reason, home language speakers of English enjoy linguistic privilege. Read more about this in my previous blog http://19841647.blogspot.co.za/?zx=44838a9a22b5e696. 

But times a-changing, speaking only one language, even if it is English, is no longer sufficient. Not only does multilingualism give you the edge in our globalized world, but it benefits you in more ways than you can think of.

Wait, what?

Yes, if you speak two or more languages, you basically have superpowers. Besides being able to talk two or more languages, speakers have a few linguistic superpowers. Speaking a second language benefits your first language immensely, including proficiency, vocabulary, reading and communicative improvements. Being bi- or multilingual also helps you to learn a language quicker and easier in the future. 

You also have quite a few cognitive superpowers. Studies have shown that bi- or multilingual people have improved memory capabilities an they also have better decision making skills than your average (monolingual) Jo. Interestingly enough, bilingual schizophrenic patients show less symptoms when they are speaking their second language.

But the most important of the superpowers (to me anyway) is cultural superpowers. If you speak two or more languages, you accept two or more cultures, thus multilingual people have better insights in other cultures and worldviews, they also see their own culture from a new perspective and will more readily accept new cultures they are confronted with.

“To have another language is to possess a second soul”

Now what?

If you're reading this and feeling dreadfully jealous, don't fret. Learning a new language and culture is always within your reach (disclaimer: it will be very difficult since spontaneous language acquisition only happens during early childhood.) and will certainly be worthwhile.