Learning a new
language
In the multicultural world we live in today it is
often very helpful to learn other languages such as Spanish, French, Italian, Mandarin, Japanese, German,
Russian, Dutch, or Portuguese.Whether it is
for expanding job horizons or just preparing a trip, the results can be very
rewarding. Fortunately there are many great free resources on the net to learn.
For learning the pronunciation there are great audiotapes.
It is amazing that
our world is over flowing with different cultures and races that all share
their own individual ideas, beliefs, and religions, which adds a rich beauty
that surrounds our world. In a lot of ways, the
hobby of learning languages is a lot more than a simple hobby to kill time. To learn a new language is a relatively simple way
of sharing a piece of culture, or even humanity, between two people that could
not have communicated otherwise. Without being proactive in this world, we lose
the ability to connect ourselves with people on the other side of the world
from us.
The absolute fact
about learning a new language is that it is very easy because we are social
creatures, but the hard part to learning a new
language is the dedication and perseverance
behind learning a language. With strong dedication and the will to push through
the learning curve, it is quite easy to learn a new language.
The truth behind learning a new language is that it
is both fascinating and fun to do.
Most people choose to learn a new language because they are looking for a way
to add something to their lives, and on the other hand, some people choose to
learn a new language for reason as simple as work placement or emigration. One very common reason behind learning a language is because your partner, in-laws, relatives, or
friends speak a different language. By learning to speak that new language, you
will help to communicate with them on a much higher level. It will also give
you a better understanding of their culture and way of thinking.
Knowledge of foreign languages may also increase your chances of finding a new
job, getting a promotion or a transfer overseas, or of going on foreign
business trips.
Best Way to Learn a New Language?
The key to being successful in learning a new
language is as simple as three words: Dedication, Endurance, and Perseverance.
Many language teachers agree that immersion is an excellent way to learn a language. Students must use the language outside of class as well as in it. In addition, students will learn more about the culture in which the language is spoken, which will give them context for their vocabulary. Use translation with dead languages, like Greek or Latin, because they are not going to change ever again, unlike every other language in the world that is dynamic and constantly changing.
Many language teachers agree that immersion is an excellent way to learn a language. Students must use the language outside of class as well as in it. In addition, students will learn more about the culture in which the language is spoken, which will give them context for their vocabulary. Use translation with dead languages, like Greek or Latin, because they are not going to change ever again, unlike every other language in the world that is dynamic and constantly changing.
There are many different courses designed for self-study that are now commonly available. These include textbooks, with or without cassettes or CDs, cassettes alone, videos, DVDs, and computer programs.
Combination textbook audiotape courses are probably
the most popular and are designed
to give you an all round knowledge of a language. Some courses focus more on
colloquial language while others concentrate more on reading and writing. Most
courses are intended for complete beginners or people with only minimal
knowledge of the language. Intermediate and
advanced level courses are available for
some of the more popular languages, such as French, German, Italian and
Spanish. Computer courses are probably the most popular of all the options, and
are designed to give you an all round knowledge of a language.
The most popular language in the world is a tricky
question to answer. If you simply go by the numbers, the number one language in
the world is Mandarin Chinese
with 882 million primary speakers, followed by Spanish with 325 million primary
speakers, and followed by English in third place with 312 – 380 primary
speakers. I think what the actual question in play is what is the easiest
language to learn. I always like to start this answer by saying . . .learn the
language you want to learn.
Half the battle
with learning a new language is that you can’t give up and you must dedicate
yourself to your goal of learning that new language. Practice, practice, and
then practice some more. Everyone looks and sound stupid when they first
learned a new language. Just never give up.
As far as ease goes, we can break the languages into three separate categories based on their ease of learning. The "easiest" languages for speakers of English, requiring approximately 600 hours of class work for proficiency are the Latin and Germanic languages such as Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese. The “medium” level, requiring approximately 1100 hours of class work for proficiency are the Slavic languages, Turkic languages, other Indo-European languages such as Persian, Hindi, and some non-Indo-Europeans such as Georgian and Hebrew. Languages like Arabic, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese languages are quite difficult because of strange phonemes, large number of tones, and complex writing systems to name a few.
Learning another language can help you make more
money?
CareerBuilder.com’s
hiring forecast showed that 39
percent of U.S. employers said they plan to hire bilingual candidates, and half
said that if they had two equally qualified candidates, they would be more
inclined to hire the bilingual one.
Learning a language is a wise investment for anyone,
at any age, whether you’re preparing to enter the workforce or looking to
expand your opportunities.
Since you can learn a
new language quickly with the right
solution, that’s a pretty good investment of your time.
What’s more, salary bonuses vary depending on the
exact language in which you’re proficient. Here’s a quick breakdown of a few
different secondary languages and their annual bonuses as reported by The
Economist:
•
Spanish — 1.5
percent bonus
•
French — 2.3
percent bonus
•
German — 3.8
percent bonus
The
most useful languages to learn
1. German
• German is known
to be the best language that will earn you the big bucks, earning you over
125,000 (Euros) in bonuses!
• Germany
is one of the three European powerhouses. This means that the language will be
more economically valuable for an outsider than the language of a relatively
more closed economy.
• 2. French
• With over 200 million people on 5 different
continents around the world speaking French, you can see why it ranks as one of the most useful
languages to learn.
• At first glance, French
may appear to be spoken by only those
living in France, but it happens to be the second-most widely learned language
after English.
• Knowing how to speak French opens the
doors to French companies in not only France but also other French-speaking parts
of the world such as Canada, Switzerland, Belgium, and North and sub-Saharan
Africa. As the world’s fifth-biggest economy and number three destination for
foreign investment, France is a key economic partner.
• For students looking to pursue their Masters or MBA
degrees, knowing French can act as a big advantage. Renowned French
universities and business schools are ranked as some of the top higher
education institutions in Europe and the world.
• 3. Spanish
• Over the past decade, knowing how to speak Spanish has not only been an advantage for job seekers but
it’s become a necessity. In the United States and Europe, Spanish
is the foreign
language of choice after English.
• No matter what industry you are in, the numbers
alone present a strong case to learn Spanish, especially in business. In addition to the sheer
number of people you can reach by knowing how to speak Spanish, countries like
Mexico, Chile, and Colombia are quickly becoming powerhouses in the global
economy.
• Here’s the cherry on top of the sundae: Spanish is
the easiest language out of the most useful
languages to learn if you already
speak English. You can quickly learn Spanish by taking advantage of online
solutions like Rype, where you’ll receive unlimited private Spanish lessons and get to work with a dedicated language
coach online.
• 4. Mandarin
• It’s no secret that China is the world’s new
dominant economy, with a growing influence from Africa to the Americas. If
you’re in business, then China is a
goldmine of opportunities, with over a
billion people that you can target.
• According to London-based search firm Ascentator,
demand for executive positions by American
and multinational companies in China has
risen 35% from the previous years, echoing similar figures from other
recruiting firms.
• However, unlike Spanish, Mandarin is a complicated
language to learn.
• The good news is that f you can manage to
learn Mandarin, you can bet that your future boss and co-workers will be
impressed.
• 5. Arabic
• The Arab world is recognized as one of the wealthiest regions in
the world, with over $600 billion in GDP.
• The size of the Middle Eastern economy alone
increased by approximately 120% in the five-year period from mid-2003 to
mid-2008.
Due to the abundance of market opportunities in the Middle East, Western Arabic speakers are in
very high demand but in very low supply. Those who speak Arabic have the
opportunity to develop an international career in a variety of industries such
as education, finance, journalism, foreign services, and more.
The absolute fact about learning a new language is that it is very easy because we are social creatures, but the hard part to learning a new language is the dedication and perseverance behind learning a language. With strong dedication and the will to push through the learning curve, it is quite easy to learn a new language.
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