20 Reasons To Learn A Foreign Language
with the tobian language School
- January 27, 2025
- By Josseline Jiménez
The advancements we’ve witnessed in recent years due to technology and globalization make it essential to learn a foreign language today and even more so in the future.
Regardless of whether it’s in the workplace, social settings, or even healthcare, acquiring a foreign language will benefit you across all these fields and beyond.
Below, you will discover 20 reasons to learn a foreign language and see the significance of making such a choice.

Table of Content
Reason 1: Boost your professional profile
When it comes to your CV, speaking another language is an important attribute in the eyes of any recruiter. According to a study by Randstad, a company specializing in human resources, knowledge of languages increases professionals’ chances of getting a job by 37%. A CV with a person who speaks a foreign language will undoubtedly stand out from others, allowing them to have a higher percentage of being recruited.
Reason 2: Career Opportunities
According to a UN report on trade and development, global trade and investment are deeply intertwined in international networks.
Most companies have or are planning to deal with international relations. Important positions or promotions will always be conditional on specific skills but also on knowledge of foreign languages in order to understand this business dynamic and communicate with partners or investors from other countries.
Whether to achieve a promotion or to apply for a foreign company, having another language up your sleeve gives you more possibilities of choice and an advantage over anyone else.
Reason 3: Academic Opportunities
You have access to a wide variety of academic programs and offerings. To take advantage of these opportunities, a key tool is to master the language in which you will be studying.
Not only will this allow you to apply to universities in different countries, but it will also open the doors to a unique and enriching academic experience, raising the value of your studies to a whole new level.
Furthermore, according to the European Commission and ICEF Monitor, 92% of employers look for skills and knowledge that are often found in students or workers who have lived abroad for a significant period.
Likewise, 64% of employers tend to give greater responsibilities to new employees with international academic or work experience.
Reason 4: Enhanced Decision-Making Skills
As highlighted in this fascinating article from The Guardian, using a foreign language requires us to constantly make decisions about vocabulary, phrases, and structures.
This process sharpens our decision-making skills, enhancing our ability to navigate everyday interactions. Mastering a foreign language not only improves communication but also makes you quicker and more practical when faced with decisions.
Reason 5: Boost Your Brain's Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity is the brain’s incredible ability to adapt, reorganize, and recover from new situations. Learning a new language stimulates this process by creating and strengthening neural connections, keeping your brain active and fit.
In addition, by speaking one or more foreign languages, you are constantly exercising these connections, which contributes to preserving brain health in the long term. According to a study conducted by Bialystok, learning a foreign language not only slows down brain aging, but also helps prevent neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Speaking another language is a real gym for your mind!

Reason 6: Strengthen Your Memory
Imagine all the content you know in your language: vocabulary, phrases, structures…
Now, think about having that same thing in a completely different code, in another language! Incredible, right? Your brain would be storing twice as much information, creating a parallel world of words and structures in another language.
Caitlin Ware, a research engineer at Broca Hospital in Paris, says that this type of mental exercise strengthens the brain’s executive functions, significantly improving memory. As a result, your ability to retain information becomes much more efficient.
Reason 7: Deepen Your Understanding of the Target Language's Culture
A language is a door that gives you access to unique expressions, sayings and phrases that reflect the essence of the culture of those who speak it.
Learning a foreign language not only expands your vocabulary but also gives you a deeper insight into everything that language represents: its values, traditions and ways of seeing the world. In addition, it gives you the opportunity to connect with native speakers and understand how the language is lived and expressed in its natural context.
Language is like a microscope or a magnifying glass: it allows you to discover and appreciate in greater detail the cultural wealth that it carries with it.

Reason 8: Foster an Open Mindset
By learning another language, you are exposed to viewpoints and ways of thinking that might be completely different from what you know or are used to. This immersion in new cultural and linguistic nuances shows you that your way of seeing the world is not the only one.
This experience opens your mind, making you more flexible and receptive in your opinions, perceptions, and thoughts. Learning a language not only expands your vocabulary, but also your perspective on the world.
Reason 9: Organize Your Thoughts More Effectively
When you speak another language, a fascinating process occurs in your brain. From all the vocabulary and structures, you have learned, your mind carefully selects the necessary elements and organizes them to express the message you want to convey in that foreign language.
This process not only helps you communicate, but also develops your ability to organize, synthesize, and restructure information in your mind. Over time, without even noticing it, you begin to apply this skill in your daily life. Your thoughts and explanations become clearer, more precise, and more orderly.
Reason 10: Improve Your Multitasking Skills
According to a study by Pennsylvania State University in the United States entitled “Juggling Languages Can Build Better Brains” (2011), mastering several languages contributes to the development of multitasking ability.
This ability allows one to manage multiple tasks simultaneously, thanks to the fact that the brains of bilingual or multilingual people are trained to alternate between different linguistic structures. This process, known as switching, significantly strengthens and improves the ability to multitask.
Reason 11: Expand Your Social Circle
Friendships arise from a variety of contexts, such as childhood, academics, or work life. Speaking a foreign language becomes a powerful key to communicating, establishing connections, and expanding social circles, which in turn increases the opportunities to generate new friendships and contacts.
Reason 12: Build Self-Confidence

According to an article published by Tijus Academy, fluency in a language allows you to communicate your thoughts, ideas and feelings clearly and confidently. By being able to express yourself confidently, you increase your confidence in your ability to convey messages accurately, which in turn strengthens your self-esteem.
Reason 13: Enhance Social Relationships
If you’ve ever been a bit shy or hesitant about speaking in a group or communicating, learning another language can provide the boost you need to build confidence and overcome your fears. According to an article published by Tiju’s Academy (2023), speaking a foreign language enables more comfortable participation in social interactions.
Whether it’s chatting with friends, joining group discussions, or giving presentations, fluency empowers you to actively engage and contribute, enhancing both your confidence and communication skills.
Reason 14: Refine Your Native Language Skills
As reported in an article by the Spanish language school La Playa, learning a new language not only helps you master its grammar, verb conjugations, and sentence structure, but it also makes you more aware of language in general.
You gain a greater understanding of synonyms, different ways of structuring sentences, and the various ways of expressing ideas. This experience not only enriches your linguistic knowledge, but also significantly improves your communication skills in your own language.
Reason 15: Create Global Connections
Establishing friendships or contacts in a variety of countries can be an incredibly rewarding experience. Not only does it give you the opportunity to explore a country from a local’s perspective, making your visits more authentic and interesting, but it also connects you with valuable sources of information about work or academics.
These relationships can provide you with key resources and relevant guidance to achieve your goals, whether in travel, study, or professional development. Having a global network of contacts is undoubtedly a significant advantage in any context.
Reason 16: Develop Greater Tolerance and Empathy
It boosts your ability to understand and tolerate opinions that are completely different from your own.
Learning a new language is, in a way, like entering the world of the other person (the native speaker): understanding their perspective and, above all, avoiding judging it. If you previously had preconceived ideas or a somewhat rigid view of things, learning another language will open your mind, making you more flexible and receptive to the opinions and experiences of others.
These relationships can provide you with key resources and relevant guidance to achieve your goals, whether in travel, study, or professional development. Having a global network of contacts is undoubtedly a significant advantage in any context.
Reason 17: Make Travel Easier and More Enjoyable
If you learn the language of the country you dream of traveling to, your experience will be much more enriching. You won’t be just another tourist; you’ll be able to express yourself like a local and understand people more authentically.
When you don’t know the language, communication can become an obstacle to getting through everyday activities and contact with people tends to be less deep. On the contrary, speaking the local language facilitates a closer connection with people, allowing you to interact more fluently in daily situations such as restaurants, administrative procedures, and other daily life activities.
In addition, locals often appreciate and value a foreigner’s effort to speak their language. This gesture is not only recognized, but also generates empathy and respect, opening doors to more genuine and memorable experiences.
Reason 18: It Enables Remote Work
Mastering another language expands your chances of landing a remote job, allowing you to travel while working solely on your computer. This can turn you into a digital nomad, an increasingly popular trend.
Currently, many international companies are looking for professionals who speak one or more languages.
Because these companies are often based in other countries, they mostly offer remote jobs. According to an article published by Schreiber, some of these companies include Amazon, Spotify, Upwork, and GitLab, among others.
The ability to work from anywhere in the world with just a computer is an unmatched advantage that you shouldn’t miss.
Reason 19: Enjoying Movies, Music, and Literature in Their Original Language
If some of your favorite songs, movies, or books are in a foreign language, experiencing the content in its original language, rather than translated, can be an incredible opportunity to enjoy it more authentically.
It will also allow you to better grasp the message, enrich your understanding, and achieve a deeper, more genuine understanding of its meaning.
Reason 20: Make learning other languages easier
According to an article published in The Globe, learning a second language can significantly improve listening skills, as the brain has to work harder to identify and differentiate the sounds of a different language.
In addition, by learning a foreign language, you develop a better understanding of structures and vocabulary, which will greatly help you when facing learning future languages. This prior knowledge will provide you with a solid foundation and make the process much easier.
Conclusion to 20 Reasons To Learn A Foreign Language
These inspiring examples show that language learning is possible and rewarding at any age. Older adults possess unique qualities that can make language acquisition particularly fulfilling.
Whether through structured classes, language exchanges, or immersive experiences, learning a new language enriches the mind, expands social horizons, and brings joy and accomplishment to life’s later stages. Age should never be seen as a barrier, but rather as a window to new opportunities and connections through language.
At Tobian Language School, we are happy to help you on your journey—there are no borders or limits! So why wait? Take that first step and embark on a transformative journey today!

Josseline Jiménez is working together with the Tobian Language School through the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs program.