4 Unexpected Benefits Of Learning A New Language
Right before the new year, we all start thinking about ways to make our lives better. How we can do things, and make changes, to improve ourselves. Some of us may be thinking of ways to get more sleep. Others may be wanting to learn a new hobby. And some may be looking to remove habits and attitudes that have been holding us back. I have been taking Korean lessons, and have found that there are definitely some unexpected benefits of learning a new language.
Second languages in the U.S.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 21.6% of people in the United States speak a language other than English at home. Preply, an online language learning company, did a survey about the preferences of adults in the U.S. in 2023. They analyzed online searches about languages, and here’s what they found.
- Spanish is the most popular second language to learn in the U.S. “Learn Spanish” was searched online 75,300 times a month.
- English was the second most search with an average of 24,800 “Learn English” searches.
- Spanish and English were followed by Japanese, Korean, and French.
My unexpected benefits of learning a new language
As I mentioned before, I’m currently learning Korean. I started over a year ago, got sidetracked by life, and then started back up again early summer. People always ask me, “why Korean?” Honestly it started when I became obsessed with Kdramas, or Korean shows. I loved the sound of the language, and wanted to eventually be able to watch these shows without subtitles. I also was planning my trip to South Korea and wanted to be able to communicate at least a little and say “hello,” “please,” and “thank you.” And finally, now that I’m obsessed with Kpop group BTS, I want to be able to sing and understand the songs in Korean.
As far as unexpected benefits? I have discovered that I love being a student again, I feel like part of a new community, and it has opened my eyes to a people and a culture I didn’t know much about. I also wasn’t expecting to feel such a sense of pride.
Being a student again
I liked school when I was younger, and I always liked learning. Going “back to school” in an online setting has been a really interesting process, and I’ve found that I love it. Didn’t realize I missed being a student and having homework.
Part of a new community
The people that I’m learning with have become a new community for me. We’re all in a group chat and I love hearing from them and sharing struggles and successes. It has also led me to become part of a BTS community known as ARMY. Let me just say, I’ve found my people.
People and Culture
When you learn a new language, you’re learning more than just words and phrases. You’re learning about the history of the language. You’re learning about the people, the food, the way of life, the culture. It’s fascinating.
A sense of pride
When was the last time you did something that made yourself proud. If it’s been a while, let me tell you, there’s nothing like wanting to pat yourself of the back for accomplishing something when you haven’t done it in a while. I’m far from where I want to be, but I’m so proud of myself for what I’ve learned so far.
