Which one should you choose
Speaking more than one language makes you smarter: Bilingual people have more grey matter than those who only know their mother tongue. People who speak two or more languages have more grey matter in certain parts of their brain, a study has found.
One of the main advantages of having a single human language will be the ease of communication. When everyone speaks the same language, there are no barriers to communication and everyone is on the same page thus there are no complications or misunderstandings.
Advantages of knowing more than two languages:
- You have more career prospects available to you because of multilingualism.
When you can speak multiple languages, then your value as an employee increases exponentially with each new language that you learn. In San Francisco, over 50% of the families who are looking for a nanny want to hire someone who is fluent in a language other than their own – and that doesn’t always mean it is Spanish. The idea is that when children are exposed to multiple languages from birth, then they are simply learning two first languages instead of a primary and then secondary option.
- It creates an opportunity for early diversity.
Multilingualism is a chance to learn from differences instead of being scared of them. When we take the time to learn about different cultures and ethnicities, then the diversity this education provides offers added strength and self-confidence to the individual. People have a better sense of knowing where they fit in society when they have access to the bigger picture.
- Multilingualism improves a person’s working memory.
A multilingual education works to improve the working memory of the individual learning multiple secondary languages. This improvement provides for better information processing capabilities when there is exposure to new audio stimuli, ideas, concepts and real-life experiences. At the same time, individuals who pursue a multilingual educational opportunity experience lower levels of fear and anxiety while being less likely to experience a mental health disorder.
- Learning one new language makes it easier to learn more.
Once a second language has been learned and a student can officially call themselves “bilingual,” it becomes much easier for that person to learn a third language, and then a fourth, and so on. each additional language that an individual can pick up with fluency will make it that much easier to start speaking another language quickly. Bilingual education opportunities encourage brain growth, trigger student concentration, and reduces the amount of time required to transition between task switches.
- Being multilingual allows for individual wisdom to develop.
Although there are numerous definitions for wisdom, people develop this trait because of their personal life experiences. People who are described as being “old souls” have extensive experiences that are unique compared to the “average” person in society. When you have the opportunity to pursue multilingualism, then you can access more personal experiences through the lens of different cultures. Your fluency can make it possible to study overseas, hold conversations with different community groups, or even watch different television challenges.
Learning about different cultures is essential to the educational process, but the benefits of experiencing them personally are far greater. When an individual has access to greater wisdom when making decisions, then they can better process the difference between right and wrong in their lives. That makes it a lot easier to keep choosing the proper path to take.
- You can travel with more convenience because you understand what others are saying.
Although one of the disadvantages of speaking multiple languages is an almost constant need to prove your nationality, being multilingual makes it a lot easier to travel around the world. You might be asked to speak in your home language or offer your passport as evidence when making your way through customs, but the benefits here almost always outweigh the negatives.
Knowing what you are ordering at a restaurant, asking for directions to a specific destination, or requesting a recommendation are all much easier when you can speak the local language instead of trying to use Google Translate.
- The brain benefits from multiple positive cognitive benefits.
When you are multilingual, then it is not only your working memory that improves as you pursue each new secondary language. Your overall attention span improves when compared to those who can only speak one language. There is even a lower risk of experiencing a stroke if you can speak at least two languages instead of being monolingual. This advantage can occur very early in life as well, with children as young as 7 months having the capacity to adjust to changes in their environment better. Adults who speak multiple languages also experience less overall cognitive decline during the natural aging process.
- There are several health benefits linked to being multilingual.
You will discover that there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that multilingualism creates numerous positive impacts on the overall health of your brain. Even speaking one additional language can help you to reduce the onset of dementia. There are lower risks of experiencing Alzheimer’s disease if you speak multiple languages too. Multilingualism will also improve your stroke recovery time, reduce your overall stress levels, and it can reduce anxiety because you’re naturally open to more ideas.

Disadvantages of knowing more than one language
- Lack of innovation – A single language throughout the world would mean that the innovation and growth of language would stop. There will be no more dialects, no more sweet floral renditions. Imagine the various Sanskrit scriptures being rendered in English.The symphony of language replaced by the cacophony of voices
- Monotony – Due to the variety of languages prevailing across the world, especially in India we are able to enjoy them. Imagine a state wherein we hear the same sounds, same dialects wherever we go. Rest assured mankind would be bored to death.
- Loss of Secrecy – Languages evolved as a means of code amongst sets of humans. Every group needed to have privacy when talking to each other which resulted in the evolution of the different languages that we see today. A universal language would mean that nations and people may lose their privacy and secrecy.
“Jack of many, master of none” is a figure of speech used in reference to a person who has dabbled in many skills, rather than gaining expertise by focusing on one.
The shortened version “a jack of all trades” is often a compliment for a person who is good at fixing things, and has very good broad knowledge. They may be a master of integration, as such an individual who knows enough from many learned trades and skills to be able to bring the individual’s disciplines together in a practical manner. This person is a generalist rather than a specialist.
Multilingualism is the ability to speak more than two different languages fluently. Contrary to what some societies believe, the vast majority of the world’s population is either bilingual or multilingual. With over 5,000 distinct languages spoken around the world, numerous words are “borrowed” by different languages to create a global definition of specific names, nouns, or descriptions. In many ways, each person is multilingual in some ways.
Some people are born into situations where they must learn multiple languages in their youth because that is the only way to function in society successfully. Others are born into monolingualism and must begin the process of learning at a later age. Some people can read in another language, but then struggle to speak in it.
It takes the average person about six months to begin developing fluency in a different language with daily studies. Some people can catch on much sooner than that. Once you are successful in learning your first new language to become bilingual, it is much easier to become multilingual.
