Throughout the world, there are approximately 6,500 languages spoken that are used on a daily basis. Each language creates the basis of a community, and it provides the foundation for communication and functionality. However, approximately half of the world is limited to only one language, which limits the other 6,499 means of communication. What people fail to realize is the universal impact languages can have.
A reason why knowing different languages is important is that it gives a person a different perspective of the world. For example, according to Sciencemag.org, “Russian speakers are faster to distinguish shades of blue than English speakers…And Japanese speakers tend to group objects by material rather than shape.” Although these differences may seem somewhat miniscule, it can actually have a drastic impact of how people perceive the world. By learning multiple languages, people can learn ways to view a situation differently, and have different outlooks on the world.
In addition, learning different languages can get people to be more open-minded about the various cultures in the world. Learning languages can enable people to learn more about certain traditions or cultures of that language’s origin. For example, when learning Spanish, people can learn about Spain and the deep-rooted sport of bullfighting. Also when learning Korean, people can learn about the different holidays and celebrations that happen annually. Essentially, learning a language correlates intrinsically with learning cultures. This allows people to be aware of the different customs in the world, and learn more about the foundation of a language.
Without languages, people would have no way of communication. Communication is what the society thrives upon: exchanging ideas for the betterment of the world. By learning multiple languages, people can communicate efficiently to different types of people. This ability is crucial in getting ideas across, as it shows effective means of understanding different opinions and perceptions.
Learning different languages isn’t just a convenience, but rather an instrumental factor in communicating with the world. Garrett Wu, a junior in Valencia High School, told JSR that, “If people do not communicate there is barely a society,” and stated, “the importance of language depends on what language and your purpose.”
Although language is shown to be instrumental, the impact of it differs for every person. Some may learn it just for knowledge, and others will apply it to their daily life. Either way, language is absolutely key for the world today.