The Many Benefits of a Second Language Tutor
Whether you want to learn a new language, or just brush up on your skills, a language tutor will make all the difference
Language is all around us. As the world becomes more connected, through social media, high-speed internet, and international relations, knowing more than one language is becoming a necessity. Learning a second language is a great way to develop yourself in this modern, connected world, and having a tutor to help is the best way to learn and develop your language skills in the right way.
Knowing a Second Language is Becoming Second Nature
Travelling has become a second nature to us. As we take trips around the world or even just weekend getaways, ordering food in a restaurant, knowing the polite greetings, or being able to ask for directions can make our trips easier and more enjoyable. For those on international business trips, understanding the formalities and terminologies of your host country can be vital to ensuring smooth business dealings.
For those who study abroad, adapting to a new environment can be challenging, and learning a second language can significantly ease the transition. Fluently communicating with classmates from different parts of the world and navigating daily life without language barriers becomes crucial. However, learning a new language has benefits beyond studying abroad. Even for individuals who are not studying overseas, learning a second language like Spanish can open up a world of opportunities and enrich their personal and professional lives. If you’re interested in learning Spanish, enrolling in Spanish classes at a reputable online language class (like the Spanish classes Brisbane) can be an excellent starting point. Through these classes, you can develop your language skills, broaden your cultural horizons, and gain valuable assets that can benefit you in various aspects of life.
Benefits of a second language
Before you dive into learning a new language, it helps to understand what the benefits are. Although it may seem obvious, the biggest benefit of a second language is simply being able to speak to more people. Spanish, for example, is spoken by over 580 million people world wide, while Chinese is spoken by more than 1.3 billion. Hiring a Spanish tutor in Portland Oregon could help you reach people in Puerto Rico! One big opportunity this opens up is employment.
Knowing more than one language opens up many possibilities for work. Whether that’s a new multilanguage position within your existing company, working for a foreign company, or even moving abroad for work, simply being able to communicate with more people makes a big difference. Once an employer knows you can speak a second language, even new responsibilities within your existing role may open up.
Studying can also be improved with the knowledge of a second language. New courses and subjects can open up, maybe a minor in business studies based in German, a communications elective in Chinese, the list goes on.
The benefits don’t just stop with business and school. Creativity is something that can be greatly improved by knowing more than one language. TV, film, and music are huge creative industries that span the entire globe. Whether you want to direct hollywood movies, write bollywood screenplays, or produce latino music, being able to incorporate other languages and cultures into your art, or work in foreign markets can greatly increase creative opportunities.
Culture goes hand in hand with art and creativity. Once you begin to know and understand a country’s language, naturally their culture will start to show through. Language is used in almost all aspects of culture, from music and history, to movies and sports. Through these cultural aspects, you can gain a new perspective into the way others live, their viewpoints and how language is used in different societies.
A somewhat understated benefit of learning a second language, is development of your mental abilities. Although you may not realize it, learning a second language helps you to develop deeper thinking and problem solving skills. The simple act of studying will improve your concentration and learning skills, making future learning much easier.
Why get a tutor
Learning on your own is hard. For a fortunate few out there studying can be easy, but for most it’s difficult. With so many distractions, like social media and streaming services all available on our devices, being able to concentrate solely on learning is no easy feat. Having the self-discipline to make yourself sit down to study can also be hard to master, especially when juggling a busy life.
When it comes to a second language it’s no different. Although it can be done solo, learning a second language is best done with someone else. Pronunciation and conversation are very important parts of learning a language and getting them right is much easier with someone to help guide you in the right direction.
Having a tutor provides much needed structure to your learning. Having set days to meet up and learn gives you something to look forward to, helps you get into a learning frame of mind and gives deadlines. Having someone to report to each week adds an accountability to your learning that is hard to achieve through solo learning, and the best part is, the tutoring can be tailored to your needs, your learning style.
The biggest benefit for a second language tutor is the person to person practice. Having someone to check your pronunciation and practice conversations with you will make a world of difference as you learn. Confidence with second languages is a key factor in developing. Having someone to correct mistakes, and help you understand the rules allows you to progress knowing you’re making the right steps.
Lasting Benefits to a Second Language
Knowing another language has more to it than meets the eye. As well as the amazing ability to communicate with so many more people, and a wide range of new opportunities, the benefits for your brain are often understated. Learning a new language helps to slow down aging of your brain and has had proven benefits against the development of Alzhimer’s. Understanding another language enhances your ability to multitask and sharpens the mind, keeping it sharper for longer.
Not only will your second language skills increase, but so too will your other language skills. Learning a new language helps you to understand the finer details of your native language, and learning future languages automatically becomes easier. Perhaps, once you’ve learnt one, you’ll learn many more.
