1. Tomorrow’s World – you’ll be needed! In many countries it is quite normal for most people to know three languages. In the European Union, such people are well placed to take full advantage of European citizenship and of the European market.
2. Job Opportunities – you’d get one easily! Knowing languages will open up employment opportunities that you would not have had otherwise and give you an edge over monolingual applicants competing for the same jobs. An employer will see you as a bridge to new clients and customers.
3. Other cultures – how to understand others The encounter with cultures different from your own leads to an understanding of different lifestyles and customs. It also improves the learner’s ability to understand and communicate with people from different walks of life.
4. Sports - get involved When the Olympic Games came to London, the need for language skills had never been so important. More than 70,000 volunteers helped at the games, many of whom used language skills to welcome visitors from around the world.
5. Improves English and Maths skills Research has shown that language learners achieve significantly higher Maths and English scores. Studying a foreign language will enhance your grammar skills and improve your analytic and interpretive capacities.
6. Be more critical and creative Learning a language will also improve your problem-solving skills and improve your memory, self-discipline and because progress is very easy to measure, you can quickly take pride in your new abilities.
7. Higher education – get ahead Foreign language qualifications are a requirement for some degrees. In many fields (science, medicine, law, politics, journalism etc.) a reading knowledge of another language is expected in order for scholars to conduct research.
8. Travel – go where you want If you intend to stray from the tourist areas and explore the real country and really get to know it, you must know the language. Your language ability will allow you to see and do things that many other visitors cannot.
9. Enjoy the option to study abroad Studying abroad can be the experience of a lifetime. Students are fully immersed and integrated into the academic and social life of the country in which they are studying – the ideal way to improve their language skills even further.
10. Have a richer life Studying another language, reading other people’s stories and connecting with people in their own language can be a source of pleasure and pride. Learning about other cultures will help you expand your personal horizons.