International Language

By Jelle Koopmans

RISS students have lived on every continent except for Antarctica, and if you group any three of us together, it is very likely that, combined, we can create a list of over 50 countries that we have visited. Everyone is bilingual, most are trilingual, and there are several students among us who speak four or even five languages. What does this mean for the students? What are the benefits of being able to speak several languages?

Benefits

According to a study done by the Language Learning Center, there are nine major benefits of speaking more than one language:

• You will become better at making decisions:

When you can speak another language, your brain is trained to find subtle hints and nuances in given situations. By having a heightened awareness and appreciation of the situation, you make more rational decisions. People who only speak one language usually base their decisions solely on their emotions. 

• An improved memory:

A recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology showed that bilingual students perform much better than monolingual students in tests, looking at what is known as ‘working memory’. Working memory is included in the part of the brain that processes and stores information. This is due to the fact that speaking another language trains different parts of the brain, therefore also contributing to an improved memory. Improved memory is a very useful skill that can be applied to education, as it will help you to remember topics and details during tests and quizzes. 

• Increased attention span:

Someone who is bilingual is used to having to switch between the different languages that they speak, and also to deciding which language best fits their current circumstances. This is significant, because it trains the brain to filter important information and to focus. Therefore, concentration is improved, which is another beneficial skill that helps students! The skill of concentration allows students to retain more information, helping them save time and also helping them decide which are the most important and relevant details to study. 

• Your ability to multitask is improved:

Multitasking is a very important skill to have as a student at the RISS. There is a tremendous amount of work we need to accomplish, so we need to know how to do our homework while we are on the metro, brushing our teeth, or eating dinner! When you speak more than one language, your brain develops the skill of eliminating any distractions, allowing you to quickly switch between tasks without much difficulty. 

• You develop your writing and speaking skills:

When speaking another language, you learn a new structure of grammar, how to set up sentences, and how to effectively communicate your thoughts with other people. As a result, you improve your linguistic awareness, helping you in both your first language, and the new language. 

• You become a more empathetic person:

How do you learn another language? By speaking with, as well as paying attention to the mannerisms of, someone from a country who speaks the language you are hoping to learn. When you interact with this person or these people, you simultaneously learn about their culture. Furthermore, you learn to understand why they do certain things and behave in certain ways. For example, in certain cultures, it is considered disrespectful to shake someone’s hand with your left hand. The left hand is used for dirty work, which is why they are insulted when you do this. An outsider might think that they are being dramatic, but you understand that this is an important part of their culture. You become more empathetic, and you learn to understand and appreciate the differences among people. This is also why new students at international schools integrate much quicker than students at public schools, as the other students understand their situation and do not avoid them because they are different. 

Learning a new language is very difficult. It requires motivation, as well as patience and acceptance of the fact that you will make mistakes; however, once you finally speak the language, you will be satisfied with your determination and happy with the fact that your hard work has finally paid off! In addition to this, you will realize all of the amazing benefits that have been discussed in this article. You will feel even more proud to be international.