Learn a New Language
- aghollifield6535
- Oct 27, 2019
- 3 min read
Language, Please!
I grew up as a mixed child. My mother moved from Mexico to North Carolina when she was around 18. My dad lived in the small town of Marion his whole life. We spoke mostly English in my house. If my mom was upset she would let out the occasional mumble in Spanish. I mostly learned broken Spanish from my moms side of the family. It took a little longer for them to learn English, so we had to speak to them in Spanish a majority of the time. I only managed to learn the phrases that I needed to know around them. Como estas? Bien. Y usted? The normal. If I didn’t know a word in Spanish, I would say it in English and hope that they would understand. I only truly began to speak Spanish once I hit those high school classes. It actually ended up opening a realm of possibilities for me! Now that I could fluently speak another language, I was able to help customers in my store a lot better. I found out that being fluent in another language (however hard it may have been to learn it) was actually really helpful! I also learned a whole lot more about the Hispanic culture and was able to open up the conversation with my mom.
Why is It Important?
Our world today is seeming to become more connected every day. With phones, we don’t even have to travel to talk to someone in another country. So learning a new language can make you feel more connected to those around you. When you learn a new language, you can connect to others in a way that you couldn’t have if you were to use a translator. People would better identify you as a local or a friend and perhaps even be more helpful to you in return. Everywhere you go, you will be able to connect on some level.
You can also advance your career. As stated before, when I worked and didn’t know Spanish, I wasn’t able to assist those customers. I had to rely on the few key words I did know. If they asked for a certain item, I had to guess and try and help them. Now that I am fully capable of speaking in Spanish, I can help them find what their looking for right away. It’s an amazing feeling to be able to have conversations with them. I love asking them how their day is because you can tell that they appreciate it.
Learning a new language is also great for the brain! It helps with our memorization skills and can help our brain as we age. It can enhance our ability to multitask as well. I know that one of the hardest parts about being bilingual is the part where I have to change from English to Spanish and vice versa. It’s a little hard to switch my brain from thinking in Spanish to thinking in English. When I am speaking in Spanish, all of my thoughts are in Spanish as well. The same for English. So making that switch is harder than it looks. Especially when I go from customer to customer in a line.
When you learn a new language, you make it easier to explore the world. I feel more comfortable in my ability to go to Mexico on my own. I hope to visit my mother's hometown and meet the family members there that I have yet to speak too. Now that I am fluent in Spanish, I can’t wait to leave and meet them. Also… when you learn your first second language… it makes it EASIER to learn a third. You’ve already opened up that brain pathway. I am currently learning how to speak Japanese. I only know a few phrases, but I have found that it is easier to get the pronunciation and remember words now. Soon, I may be multilingual!
In summary, learning a new language doesn’t only help improve yourself. It improves the world around you. It opens up new possibilities and people to meet. So… what are you waiting for?! ¡Ve a aprender un nuevo idioma!
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