Relevance of Learning New Languages

"What are you doing now?"

"Reading"

"Do you know how you are reading?"

"I'm simply reading just by looking at what is written!"

"Okay, but how can you read that?"

Because you know language; Language, which is an amalgamation of letters and words.

Alphabetical Language is a form of communication solely operated by human beings in nature and invented by their intuition. In a way, written language is the foundation for all the leaps and bounds of mankind. Because of its existence, the knowledge gained by one generation could be passed on to another practically never seen by the former and the lessons learned by those in one country could be transferred to another nation they could possibly never visit.

Though now it may seem natural and trivial to us, writing and reading are not mere trifles. Our brain recognizes alphabets first and then codes them into words and then into sentences. Meaning is comprehended. For this, you must first know the alphabets, words, and the meanings of the words. As we know, a book from an unknown language is completely useless to us! Different parts of the brain are simultaneously active when language is used, not only in reading, but also in conversation, writing, and in everything else.

So, why learn a new language?

There are many benefits to learning a new language in addition to the mother tongue. Certainly, such trainings stimulate the intellectual development of human beings. Studies show that bilingual people have more cognitive abilities than monolingual people. They will have better abilities in concentrating and learning new skills. Therefore, children should be given the opportunity to learn not only their mother tongue, but also as many languages as possible. Children can be seen learning anything new, much faster than adults. Similar is the case with languages.

In addition to the intellectual changes, there are social and cultural benefits that can be gained by mastering more languages. What are they? Which languages should you study? What are the means for studying them?

Language, apart from being a means of communication, also embodies the culture in which it is prevalent. As a matter of fact, language is the password to know and experience a new culture. It nurtures knowledge and enlarges the horizons of thought. It will motivate you to travel more and will make the journeys easier to undertake.

Employment potential is another advantage. Knowing more languages will definitely increase your job prospects. When moving abroad for work, one must be able to communicate in the language of that particular country. English is a foreign language that most Malayalees learn from an early age. It is also one of the most important languages of litigation at an international level. English is the official language of more than 50 countries around the world, including the UK, United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Singapore.

But French and Spanish are languages that Malayalees do not normally learn. French is the major language in over 29 countries, including France, Switzerland, Canada and Belgium. Spanish is the official language of over 20 countries in Europe and the United States (including South America and North America). German is the main language in Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg. In general, Malayalees do not get much opportunities in these countries unlike in the English-speaking countries, the main reason being the lack of language expertise.

Besides for working, knowledge of language is essential also for those who want to pursue higher studies abroad. Usually when applying for education abroad you need to measure your proficiency in the language in which you are going to study. Universities in countries such as Germany and France require a basic knowledge of the German and French languages. Admission is more likely if you are proficient in these languages. Those who want to study English taught programs in countries like Germany may also be favoured if they know German.

Additional benefit of learning other languages is that you can enjoy writings and movies of that country. French movies are very popular, so are Korean movies. But you can only enjoy them to the fullest if you know their language. There are extraordinary writers in many languages of the world, including Nobel laureates. This is not to say that one should learn those languages just to read their books, but that if one learns other languages, s/he will be able to enjoy the books in their fullest sense. The soul of any language is lost in its translation, for we cannot translate "My Love Is Like A Red Red Rose" into any other language, sustaining its fullest essence.

Although a little surprising, Chinese (Mandarin) and Japanese are two languages which are, if learned, filled with prospects. Why Chinese? China has one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Relations between these two countries can be expected to flourish in the industrial/employment sectors in the future. Given such a possibility, the Chinese language is a good option. Japanese is another option. Japan holds the highest count in the population of senior citizens in the world. At the same time, it possesses a very developed economy. Hence, in the near future, there will be a requirement of workers there, mostly from other countries. Knowing their language will keep the odds in your favour.

What are the various ways to learn a new language?

One way is immersion. Immersion is the process of mastering a foreign language by deeply understanding and applying it frequently. It is one of the most effective ways to learn a language. To learn a language in a practical way, you can go to the place where it is spoken and interact with the locals. It is not uncommon for other Europeans interested in learning French to stay in the French countryside, working in vineyards, and babysitting children at the local households.

But this is not feasible for all. So, the next option is to depend on classroom learning. There are language learning centres in various parts of India. Such institutes can be relied for detailed study.

Learning a language online is now possible, in addition, there are mobile apps available for the same. To be in different countries and teach others languages through Skype is also not unusual these days.

Language and Artificial Intelligence: As we know, it is time for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Automation and Artificial Intelligence are being implemented in all fields. Currently, Artificial Intelligence is being used to translate language. Is learning a new language particularly beneficial at this point?

The use of Artificial Intelligence can undoubtedly help translate and connect different languages. At present we can translate languages like English and French to each other, quite well using Google. As more and more people use it, translation using the Artificial Intelligence of other languages will also increase. Demand for professional translators will decrease. Also, those who are still in the field, will change into using computers itself for translation and checking or editing later if necessary.

But, the need and scope of language learning will be greater than ever. When the languages of the world are connected by Artificial Intelligence, many markets that are not interrelated at present will be associated together. For example, if we are searching online for a mask in English, the results from non-English language websites will be scarce, however the world’s largest and cheapest supplier might be from China and they will have a Chinese website. Not just for business, but for travel, study opportunities and research, previously unconnected spaces will be linked together.

When such a situation arises, business and industrial exchanges between countries will increase, which was otherwise not possible due to language barriers. Economic activities will also increase. Incidentally, there will have to be human relationships emerging from both sides. This is where the opportunities for those who can handle languages come into play. In addition to the aforementioned opportunities, research, travel and employment prospects will also be more available.

In a point of time, language might become something that can be easily understood with the help of a tiny chip embedded in our brains. In such a peculiar case, to visit a new country, all you might have to do would be downloading the "language app" of that country directly to your brain. But this is still at least a generation away. Therefore, it is wise for the present generation in colleges also, to learn the languages.

Start thinking about learning a new language during this lockdown. While in this lock down period, we should dream of a world that travels as much as possible once it is unrestricted, not a world always confined to the home. Let language be a starting point for it.