Gone are the days when knowing only one language was enough, given the speed at which businesses are expanding worldwide. The changing business landscape and shrinking borders, limiting to one language would be detrimental to you, as a business person or individual. This would be a disservice to yourself.
It can be difficult and frustrating to learn a language from another country. But if you consider the benefits, they will make it worth your while.
Apart from the “growing popularity” of foreign languages, it could open up your mind to being more open to the culture and traditions of other cultures. Let’s say if you are looking to expand your business to the Arabic speaking community, it will open up a huge consumer market for you.
On the other hand, you will also be able to accept the diverse cultures of the Arabs. And how they are often misunderstood by the masses. Professional Arabic translation services will also help you to guide your way through the localization process of your product or service.
Meanwhile, it can allow you to tap into educational opportunities and diversify your business in countries previously out of reach.
In this article we will be discussing the four benefits that a foreign language can bring to your personal and professional life.
a) Ability To Improve Your Personal Network
Learning a foreign language opens up the doors to more people. People will trust you more when you speak the language of another person such as learning Spanish. Knowing how to speak their language eliminates any initial strangers’ barriers’ and any apprehensions they may have. Furthermore, knowing how to speak their language makes you seem ‘like one’. This could win you more trust than a stranger who doesn’t speak the language.
Why? Understanding a language means you understand its cultural norms, etiquette, and traditions.
It opens up a wide range of professionals and individuals who can speak the same language to you. It will help you to expand your circle of useful contacts. You can do business with them, or act as a mediator in business negotiations and meetings. Learning a foreign language is crucial to success in any country.
Moreover, it would help you to bridge any language barriers you may face when studying in a foreign country. It is important to note the language barrier foreign students and expats face when opening a current account in any region for educational or employment purposes.
If say, for instance, an Iranian student wants to study in another country, he might need to translate a lot of his official documents in the target language. In this scenario, taking help from professional Farsi Translation services might get the job done. On the other hand, this language barrier can be greatly reduced by learning a foreign language. This will make your stay more enjoyable and exciting.
b) Efficient Decision Making
It has been proven that bilinguals are more capable of thinking rationally and logically than monolinguals. It doesn’t matter how you look at it: learning a foreign tongue requires a lot of conscious effort.
You can use all of your rational faculties to learn a foreign language. This has the distinct benefit of improving your decision-making and speeding up your ability to reach a meaningful conclusion.
It is easier to switch between languages quickly and without having to interrupt your thought process. This ability is rare for monolinguals. Knowing more than one language enables you to be quick on you feet. You are able to generate more ideas in a less time. Moreover, if you are using words from both languages, it often helps you to deliver your message effectively.
c) Attention to detail
You can learn a foreign language and become proficient at focusing your attention on the relevant events in your business area. Additionally, you can filter out unnecessary and irrelevant information.
You can also learn a foreign language and be able to spot misleading information. This is particularly important in contract negotiations and meetings with potential clients and partners. However, in some cases its always beneficial to take assistance from translation services.
d) Improving Memory
Apart from an increase in perception, learning another language can also help to improve your memory. This exercise is a great way to improve your brain. Memory recall is improved. You can recall names and inventory prices of people.
Moreover, Learning a foreign language can also improve your multitasking skills. It is possible to switch between two different activities easily.
Learning a foreign language can help prevent the development of mental diseases that often develop in the later stages of life.
This skill can help you communicate better. Meanwhile, you can also improve your ear for listening. This makes you a better listener than your monolingual colleagues. You will be able to sharpen your mind as you learn a foreign language.
Conclusion
In this article, we discussed how learning more than one language can improve your mental cognitive ability. It not only helps a person in his personal networking ability but also enables businesses to compete at a higher level by penetrating foreign markets. On the other hand, we also discussed how translation services can help organizations to penetrate foreign languages.
Andrea Parker is a reporter for Zobuz. She previously worked at Huffington Post and Vanity Fair. Andrea is based in NYC and covers issues affecting her city. In addition to her severe coffee addiction, she’s a Netflix enthusiast, a red wine drinker, and a voracious reader.
