What happens when you learn a new language

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have an entire new world open to you, with all its wonders and mysteries? Well, that is exactly what you experience when you learn a new language. This new and exciting adventure is well within your grasp nowadays when learning languages has never been easier. Becoming multilingual is truly like an adventure. You set sail on a journey with a thrilling sensation of not knowing what wanders await and treasures lie ahead. Comparing multilingualism to a bold and exciting enterprise or a quest may seem like a romantic view of the matter, exaggerated or even unrealistic, but that is exactly what my experience has been. Every new phrase, idiom or grammar unit that I learned and later managed to use in conversation or written communication, felt like a victory and personal triumph that boosted my confidence and helped me on my path to personal growth.

According to Noam Chomsky, a notable theoretical linguist, the theory of universal grammar explains that all humans have innate faculties related to language acquisition. This means that children learn a language with minimal exposure to it because they are born with an inherent or natural predisposition to language acquisition. The theory of universal grammar proposes that all languages possess the same properties, the same system of rules and grammatical structures. This means that humans can learn any language with minimum effort using the right techniques. When you acquire a new language, the next one becomes even easier to learn, because you start recognizing the same patterns, rules and similarities characteristic to all languages.

There is nothing that enriches a person more than mastering languages other than your mother tongue. Nothing gives you wider perspective or broadens your horizons than getting to know other cultures through learning new languages. You become more tolerant and accepting of others, you embrace diversity and celebrate differences. Most importantly, you become a better person. Multilingualism develops and supports empathy. By the definition of the Cambridge dictionary, empathy is “the ability to share someone else's feelings or experiences by imagining what it would be like to be in that person's situation.” What better way to understand someone and empathize with them than to learn their language and culture. For multilinguals, this becomes easy and natural. They can relate to people and participate in their traditions while sharing their own. The human interaction becomes deeper and more meaningful. After all, what is more human than language?

Learning a new language can help you improve your mental wellbeing. It can boost your confidence and self-esteem; help you fight depression and generally reduce stress. Acquiring a new language improves our self-image, gives us meaning and feeling of self-worth and it is, therefore, particularly helpful to our mental health. It also gives us everyday tasks and helps us stay organized and busy, which is usually challenging to people who are struggling with mental health issues. Setting daily goals for learning a new language is a good way to keep your mind busy and occupied and reduce stress and anxiety.

There is an old English proverb that says: “Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.” Language is our most valuable treasure and our most human quality. It is an inseverable part of us that brings us closer to others, improves the quality of our lives and ultimately perfects us as human beings.