Benefits of Being Bilingual

I would like to first define what it means to be bilingual. People who can speak two languages fluently are called “bilingual.” There are many benefits to being bilingual, and I detail several of them below.

• The first advantage of being bilingual is that you can connect with a larger population. Let’s say I am very fluent in my native language then I would only be able to communicate easily with those people who can speak that one language. The most powerful tool in this present world is networking and to do that you should at least know one additional language. This is especially true if you live somewhere that there are two primary languages.

• If you know more than one language, the number of opportunities you have in this world increases exponentially. In order to study or work somewhere that the primary language of instruction or communication is not your native language, it is essential to learn it fluently. Knowing that vernacular language will help you a lot in terms of your success, comfort level, networking capabilities, and general progress. Multiple languages, if you reach the level of translation and interpretation in the second language, are in great demand by employers and give job seekers a real advantage over the competition. Languages that are spoken widely in a number of countries are the most valuable assets you can add to your resume.

• Learning another language helps you gain more knowledge. When you know only a single language, you are restricted to what is published, broadcast, or translated into that language. An additional language opens up a whole new body of literature and knowledge, which gives you a more diverse world view.

• Being bilingual also widens your thought process in general, because you can actually think in two languages. Each language is connected to a system of values and a distinct world view. This helps you to perceive things in different ways and also allows you to draw on two separate knowledge systems, which gives you a competitive advantage in performing tasks over your peers who are monolingual. Bilingual people have two avenues to come up with solutions for problems.

• People who are bilingual are also often bicultural. They can get sarcasm, humor, cultural references, and idioms in two distinct languages. These nuances of language help bilinguals to more sensitively handle particular situations. Different languages have different connotations, and sometimes saying exactly the same thing in a different language can entirely shift the meaning and the way the speaker comes across. Bilingual individuals typically use their two languages in two different contexts, with two different sets of people, and who they are when they speak each language varies.  Thus the language you are speaking not only affects the way you think but it also affects your personality.

A language is just not something we speak but an extension of ourselves. So being bilingual person is not only is advantage for you socially, professionally, and academically, but it also expands your psychological side. I conclude with an old quote: “To have another language is to possess a second soul.”