The Self-Care Effect(s) of Learning Another Language
There are many reasons one might decide to take up learning another language. It could be in preparation for an international vacation, a way to challenge yourself to complete a goal you set years ago, or a means of becoming more competitive in the workforce (more on the career benefits of learning another language here). Whatever the reason, there are a number of personal benefits that come from picking up a second language, at any fluency level. While every individual is likely to have different motivations for learning another language and thereby, will experience different benefits, there are several high-impact advantages that one can expect to gain when starting the journey to learn a new language.
It has been extensively studied and concluded that individuals knowing more than one language have a number of cognitive benefits as compared to their monolingual counterparts. Having two or more languages active in the brain means that a bilingual/multilingual person regularly and subconsciously deactivates one language, leaving the other active depending on circumstances. This constant activation/deactivation switch serves to “enhance executive control functions (such as inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility)”.¹ A National Library of Medicine article found that inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility are the framework for which higher functioning is built on, such as reasoning, problem solving, and planning.² Having an advantage in these areas is extremely beneficial to one’s personal life, from being able to work toward and achieve goals and solve life problems, all the way to protecting oneself from cognitive decline later in life. Other benefits include better multitasking abilities (learned from the constant mental switch from one language to another) and greater creative competence, both of which have the ability to enhance one’s life in meaningful ways.³
In addition to cognitive benefits, learning another language has the advantage of honing one’s general communication skills. Because of the cognitive flexibility that was previously mentioned, the bilingual person often has flexible viewpoints and opinions, as well. This is likely a result of creative thinking and cultural competency gained from bilingualism/multilingualism. It is also easier for someone knowing more than one language to build a larger vocabulary over time. An ACTFL resource explains: “second language learners use all means possible to make meaning; gaining awareness of the strategies used to make and express meaning in a second language strengthens learners’ first language strategies.”⁴ Especially for languages that share roots, it can be substantially easier for a bilingual person to decipher the meaning of an unknown word by connecting it to its root in the other language. Particularly with English and Spanish, not only do many words share similar roots, but also the physical proximity of the vernaculars has influence across dialects, resulting in a fluid language duo that facilitates lifelong learning and curiosity of vocabulary. Possessing an extensive vocabulary while also having flexible viewpoints, creative thinking, and increased cultural competency has the potential to create a highly literate and masterful communicator, which is an invaluable advantage for everyone.
Increased social flexibility has often been associated with bilingualism for many reasons, constant cognitive switching being one of them. According to a Cambridge University Press article, social interactions require emotional regulation and the need to evaluate social cues in order to respond appropriately for a given situation, which is said to be “functionally analogous to cognitive switching”.⁵ The resulting social ease has been studied and thought to be a major contributing factor explaining why bilingual individuals often exhibit higher levels of self-esteem.⁶ Learning another language also has the instant advantage of doubling one’s access to social opportunities, especially when one has regular and easy access to the learned language such as the United States (English/Spanish) and Canada (English/French). The inherent cultural exposure that one experiences when learning a new language often increases one’s appreciation of other cultures, which creates richer experiences in entertainment and travel and fosters a “second life” of sorts to the beneficiary. Double communities, holidays, and entertainment options that bilingual people have access to provide for a robust and full social life not similarly attainable for a monolingual individual.
It should be noted that the benefits described here can be experienced at various stages across one’s journey in learning another language, with exponential benefits occurring in synchrony with increasing exposure and skill level. Learning another language can be the stepping stone toward a number of desirable personal ambitions including expanding one’s cognitive abilities, enlarging one’s social circles, or working towards higher self-esteem via self-actualization. What could be a more rewarding act of lifelong self-care than diving into another language?
Lazar, M. (2021, September 8). The bilingual advantage in the global workplace. Language Magazine. https://www.languagemagazine.com/2018/06/07/the-bilingual-advantage-in-the-global-workplace/
Diamond, A. (2013). Executive functions. Annual review of psychology. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4084861/
Xia, T., An, Y., & Guo, J. (2022, November 3). Bilingualism and creativity: Benefits from cognitive inhibition and cognitive flexibility. Frontiers in psychology. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9670109/
Literacy in language learning. ACTFL. (n.d.). https://www.actfl.org/educator-resources/guiding-principles-for-language-learning/literacy-language-learning
Ikizer, E. G., & Ramírez-Esparza, N. (2017, September 25). Bilinguals’ social flexibility: Bilingualism: Language and cognition. Cambridge Core. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bilingualism-language-and-cognition/article/bilinguals-social-flexibility/BCE874F6A5B00DEB932FCF078C704D40
Pesner, J. W., & Auld, F. (2002, July 12). The relationship between bilingual proficiency and self-esteem. International Journal of Intercultural Relations. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0147176780900097
