Learning a foreign language has a positive effect on intellectual growth and enhances mental development, giving you more flexibility and analytical capacity in thinking, greater sensitivity to linguistic and cultural issues, a better ear for listening and a more effective acquisition of life skills. Foreign language study also co-relates to a higher understanding of one’s own native language and its intricacies.
Another obvious advantage of knowing more than one language is having direct access to additional bodies of knowledge. Individuals who speak and read more than one foreign language have the ability to read more literature, understand original philosophical doctrines and benefit more fully from travel to other countries.
In today’s scenario where the tentacles of every industry are spreading far and wide, one cannot deny the many global benefits of taking up a foreign language. Competency in foreign languages and cross-cultural knowledge enable people to communicate with people of other cultures in a variety of settings, look beyond their customary borders, develop insight into their own language and culture, act with greater awareness of self, of other cultures, and of their own relationship to those cultures, thereby participating more fully in the global community and market.
A multilingual person can give their community an insider's view into foreign cultures, and give insights into other perspectives on international situations, thereby enhancing their nation’s economic competitiveness abroad, maintaining its political and security interests and promoting an understanding of cultural diversity within the country.
With the growing number of business powerhouses all across the world that have opened their doors to transnational trade, gearing your employees with foreign language skills has become an all-essential investment towards opening gateways to new business opportunities and building long-term business relationships.
Companies that operate on an international scale therefore need to enable their employees to deal with other cultures in their own terms. As Dr Dan Davidson, President of the American Councils on International Education explains : "[T]he English language alone is probably sufficient if all we need to do is buy our products abroad, if we need to purchase foreign goods and services. But when it comes to sellinga product abroad, you have to understand the psychology and the belief structure of your client (…)”
With the mushrooming of BPOs and call centers, and the growing number of foreign companies in the country, the opportunities are there to pick from if you are skilled in a foreign language. With the rise of travel and tourism, proficient linguists, tour guides and on-site interpreters are in constant demand. Translation, teaching and research are among the popular career options open to foreign language learners; and in virtually every domain today-- including the IT sector, the Hotel and Hospitality Industry, the Education field, the Music and Art domain, the Commerce and Trade sectors, Government Services, Banking or Public Relations—knowledge of a foreign language will definitely give you an edge over the monolingual applicants competing for the same job.
Yes, it most certainly will. A majority of universities today consider the knowledge of a foreign language to be part of what every educated individual must know. For admission into various domains, from the arts and sciences to mathematics and computer applications, knowledge of a second and sometimes even a third language is a prerequisite for admission. Even institutions that do not require foreign language knowledge often recommend it through its programs. Whatever be the institution that you aspire to be a part of, knowledge of a foreign language will make you a more competitive candidate in the admissions process.
How effectively a foreign language is acquired depends largely on the personal effort and interest that you are willing to invest, both inside and outside the classroom.
Right at the outset, it is important to define your objectives and set realistic
learning goals and expectations for yourself.
Devote some time to enhancing your language skills on a daily basis, instead of
studying irregularly for extended periods of time.
Use learning tools such as flash cards and pictures in order to engrave new
vocabulary into your language repertoire.
Practice the language actively by learning vocabulary, reading texts and
practicing pronunciation exercises aloud.
Take some time outside the classroom to further strengthen and supplement
the skills and knowledge acquired within the classroom by maximizing the
utility of your homework
to your learning. Make a conscious effort to
make up for learning hours missed.
Organize study groups in which everyone’s strengths are mutually
benefited from and weaknesses are jointly overcome.
Increase your exposure to authentic language sounds, rhythms and usage
by watching films and television shows in the native language or interacting
with native speakers.
Finally, openly discuss with your trainer, any obstacles that you face in
the language learning process in order to jointly arrive at a solution
and progress forward.
Mandarin is one of the oldest languages in the world, and is the most commonly spoken form of the Chinese languages. The language also acts as a dialect and/or a second language to several South East Asian nations. Mandarin is the official spoken language in the People’s Republic of China, Republic of China in Taiwan, and Singapore. Mandarin is also one of the six official languages of the United Nations. With about one fifth of the world population speaking Mandarin Chinese, the importance of the language on a global-scale cannot be denied.
With mainland China now finally opening up to foreign business and tourism, there has never been a better time to learn Mandarin. Whether you want to take advantage of the huge opportunities available, or are interested in the five thousand-year old culture of our Northern neighbour, you will benefit from learning the official language that is used there-- Mandarin.
Chinese culture has now become part of the international culture circuit. Owing to its ancient history and artistic background, China offers a lot of avenues for research in ancient literature and fine arts. More than ever, it is fashionable to be interested in anything Chinese; be it food, Zen Buddhism, or martial arts. It is common knowledge that the first step to understanding the beauty of any ancient culture is learning their language.
Japan’s fast-paced cultural, economic, and political progress has led to Japanese progressively becoming an important business, cultural and social language. More than 125 million people in different parts of the world are already speaking Japanese and the number of “Japanophiles” is increasing--rapidly and steadily.
Japan maintains its position as a colossal economic power with a GDP of $4.9 trillion in 2005, and the necessity to learn Japanese has increased greatly owing to the country’s potential to become an economical giant in the near future.
Japanese companies are among the most powerful in the world. Well-known names like Mitsubishi, Sanyo, Toshiba, Sony Canon, Honda, Toyota, and countless others have captured the international market in various sectors and knowledge of Japanese has now become a survival mechanism for many companies competing in the global market. In the field of education, Japan has some of the best offers in the sectors of IT and electronics.
Japanese cultural exports have also captivated people from across the globe and learning Japanese serves as a gateway to values that other Southeast Asian nations have in common with Japan, including aesthetics and sacred beliefs.
The fourth most widely spoken language in the world, Spanish is spoken in the majority of countries in Central and South America, as well as in Spain, the United States and Cuba. Spanish is the official language of 20 countries, and is spoken by social groups of various sizes in more than 20 other countries, with approximately 350 million native speakers.
Be it in the field of interpretation, diplomacy, trade or security applications, people who have skills in Spanish have greater opportunities at their doorstep.
Spanish is one of the Romance languages, with its roots coming primarily from Latin. A recognition and understanding of these words of Latin origin is especially helpful in certain professions in science, medicine, law, and many others with specialized vocabulary.
Culturally, dance forms that have their origins in Spanish culture are globally gaining attraction. Learning Spanish would help you appreciate Latin American culture and art forms more deeply and would really let you enjoy your Salsa lessons.
With over 120 million native speakers across the world, German is the official language of Germany, Austria, and Liechtenstein. It is also one of four official languages in Switzerland and one of three commonly used in Luxembourg. As an international language of scientific research, business and tourism, German is spoken as a foreign language by an additional 80 million people worldwide on an estimate and is the 3rd most popular foreign language on the international learning platform.
Germany 's economic strength is synonymous to business opportunity. Multinational companies like Daimler-Chrysler, Siemens, BMW, SAP, Bosch, Infineon, BASF, and many others need international partners and learning the language of the European economic tiger will certainly go a long way in forging firm business relations.
The land of "Dichter und Denker" -- of poets and thinkers, Germany has also been the homeland of many great scientists, inventors and engineers. Learning German would help understand the thought processes and ideas of the many renowned Germans who have contributed to the world’s intellectual and scientific pool.
We help companies respond to the growing need for foreign language training through customized corporate training programs in a host of languages including Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, German and others.
We deliver marketing and communication collaterals for your organization in any creative platform that you are looking for and in a host of target languages including Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Spanish and German.
