10 good Reasons to Learn a Foreign Language There are so many great reasons for learning a foreign language that

we thought wed bring you ten of the best! Learning a foreign language could really be a great idea and in ways that perhaps you hadnt considered. We think that to just remain monolingual, like other things in life, just forces selfconstrained limitations on you. We live in a fantastically richly cultures world and we should all strive to understand and learn as much about our worlds diversity as possible. By not learning a foreign language you could limit your communication and thinking skills but more importantly, you may miss out on a whole host of opportunities for personal, professional, social and economic development and success. Sick and tired of reading things like Cold shredded children and sea blubber in spicy sauce on menus? There are many foreign languages that you could choose to earn French, Spanish or English for example. Here is why you should be learning a foreign language. 1. To Widen your Understanding Learning a foreign language allows you to fully appreciate the culture and its context of a country. By understanding a persons culture, for example, you can avoid situations which could cause misunderstandings. Such events have been widely documented in the press over recent years and companies like HSBC have built successful advertising campaigns based on understanding cultural differences. Being able to understand other cultures and through learning a foreign language you can bridge the gap between cultures, which would be a powerful tool in todays modern world. It is interesting to note that 52.7% of Europeans are fluent in at least two languages, whereas only 9.3% of Americans. 2. Improve your Employability A fundamental element of business is being able to sell a product. Selling is all well and good in your own country, but what happens when it comes to selling in a foreign market? To sell you must understand the values and morals of the people you are selling to. We live in a truly global economy and companies constantly expanding overseas. A more recent development is the globalisation of countries from less developed countries, such as China and Thailand, to English speaking countries. These factors create strong demand for multilingual employees businesses need you and are willing to pay for you! Despite what career you choose on, or whatever your life aims, its obvious that learning a foreign language certainly wont hurt you. The likelihood is that job opportunities would open up to you that wouldnt have and whats for sure is that you will have much more earning power. And at the very least, you certainly will stand out against a monolingual job candidate. 3. Better your own Language skills Research has shown that having an understanding of a foreign language also helps your native language development. It has been found that students can develop better vocabularies and an improved level of literacy all through studying a foreign language. In fact, studies have shown that students exam scores such as SATs have improved year-on-year for every year a foreign language is studied.

4. Develop life skills Learning a foreign language involves different learning skills and helps develop key skills through listening, writing and reading. This in turn will help actually help you improve in other areas too. Your general reading and mental skills improve through studying a language. In fact, if studied from a young age, there will be a very noticeable benefit to cognitive development, such as creativity, problem-solving and reasoning. But in addition to these skills, learning a foreign language will give you important life skills. You will be better able to adapt and cope with changes and to deal with unfamiliar and new situations. You will also find that you are better able to communicate with people from all walks of life. 5. Stand out when Applying for Higher Education Being able to show to University Admission Clerks that you have previously studied a foreign language could add significant weight to your applications. You will show that you are a more rounded and educated person the sort of thing that Admission Clerks absolutely love. If you are looking to study a postgraduate for example, a foreign language may well be a prerequisite of admission. This is especially relevant for those students considering PhD applications as research is often published in books and professional journals around the globe. 6. Discover Entertainment from Around the World There are so many great books, films and music from many counties around the world. A translation or dub is just not the same as many elements of language simply cant be translated literally from one language to another. To be able to access the worlds great wealth of literature, music, film and theatre you should do them justice and enjoy them in their original form. Learning a foreign language will certainly open your eyes to amazing things. 7. Enjoy Travelling Being able to travel and fully immerse yourself in the country and culture is a fantastic way to holiday. Being able to go native, taking part in the everyday life of regular residents. Of course, we all know it is possible to travel anywhere these days without speaking the native language. But, if you dont speak English then, well, youll struggle to say the least. The language barrier can be anywhere from mildly frustrating to dangerous and intimidating. Having studied a foreign language you will feel comfortable in ordering food, understanding directions, being able to fully travel on public transport and save considerable money and maybe even batter for things in shops. In fact, many people often appreciate it when you communicate in their language or in some cases, at least try! And remember, if you really want to explore a country and get away from all the tourist traps, youre definitely going to need to know the language. Perhaps one of the best reasons for studying a foreign language dont you think? 8. Being able to study Overseas If you choose to study a foreign language you neednt study it at expensive, limited schools in your own country. Why not combine your studies with travelling and find out about study abroad programmes?

Youve made it this far through our Top 10 list and if youre beginning to think you should be studying a foreign language this could well be the option for you. You could be studying English in London, French in Paris or Chinese in Beijing. The opportunities are endless. The benefits of studying a foreign language in a study overseas programme is that you will be practicing all the time as soon as you step out the classroom you will be putting what you learnt into practice. Compared to studying in a school in your own country, the benefits are two-fold: much quicker development of your language skills and the chance to study the foreign languages culture and context. 9. Increase your Understanding of your own Culture If you study a foreign language and its culture, you will be able to see your own culture from another perspective. Encountering other cultures will allow you to question things that youve taken to be universal. Studying a foreign language will give you the unique opportunity of stepping outside the boundary of your everyday life. Experiences of other cultures and your personal development through the study of a foreign language will greatly shape your identity and heighten your self-awareness 10. Make life-time Friendships Studying a foreign language and all the opportunities it can bring will definitely increase the number of people on the globe who you can meet and communicate with. Be it meeting international students, immigrants in your community and establishing new relationships with people overseas, studying a foreign language really can change your life for the better. So youve read our 10 good reasons why you should be learning a foreign language and been nodding your head all the way? Great! You have seen how studying a foreign language can richly develop you and your life. So what are you waiting for, read more about studying other foreign languages and study abroad programmes.

The Advantages of Learning a Foreign Language at a Young Age

Children gain several advantages when they study other languages.
There are several long-lasting mental, social and even professional benefits to learning a foreign language at a young age. Children who continuously study other languages have often been shown to think in a different, more complex manner than youths who only learn their native tongue. They also are often more open and willing to accept the customs of other cultures.

1. Enhanced Learning Abilities

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Studying foreign languages has been shown to have a positive effect on mental development, particularly in young people, and an enhanced overall intellectual growth. The Association of Departments of Foreign Languages states that

studying other languages at a young age can improve math and critical thinking skills as well as strengthen the use and understanding of a child's native tongue. Their research even shows that students who continuously take foreign language courses score higher on standardized tests, like the SAT and ACT, with each additional year of study.

Exposure to Other Cultures

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Studying a foreign language early in life exposes children to other cultures--with different values, language patterns and ways of expressing themselves--in a way they never would have experienced had they not taken up the subject. By gaining the ability to communicate with people from other areas of the world at an early age, children become more interested in, as well as accepting of, ways of life that differ from their own.

Career Opportunities
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Learning a foreign language at a young age gives students an advantage in becoming successful in their chosen careers later in life. By beginning studies early, students can take advantage of educational programs at the primary schools they attend as well as get a head start for studying languages in college or life after high school. Mastering a foreign language will also increase a candidate's chances in landing a desired job because she will be able to communicate with more people from other areas of the world, and corporations view this skill as a real asset.

The Advantages of Foreign Languages in Elementary Schools

Learning second languages can help parents and children communicate.
There are many academic subjects that elementary students must master before being promoted from grade level to grade level. It is not always required, however, for elementary students to study foreign languages. Studies and experts claim that there are several advantages to learning to speak a second language at a young age and that many of those advantages pertain to academic and social progress.

1. Social Skills
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Elementary students who study foreign languages are better equipped to embrace and interact effectively with people who are different. Learning a second language creates conceptual and linguistic bridges that make it easier for children to understand other cultures and to communicate with people

around the world. This increases the opportunities to be effective and successful members of the global society in the future. Learning a second language also improves chances of being hired and promoted in the global workplace.

Cognitive Development
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A child of elementary school age and younger gain greater cognitive capacities if he learns a second language. He performs better academically when he studies foreign languages, often excelling in many ares of study, including mathematics. These students tend to outperform other students who have replaced the study of an additional language with the continued study of mathematics or other academic fields. Students show improvements in creative abilities, problem solving skills and mental flexibility overall.

Capabilites Due to Age

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Younger children, of elementary school age and below, have the ability to pick up nuances in language such as native pronunciation and grammatical rules. This is because a child is still learning her own native tongues and her brain, like sponges, soak up differences in linguistics more easily than older children and adults. Because a young child also tends to be more motivated to learn new languages, she tends to excel in native pronunciation and intonation.

Neurological Benefits
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Studies by researchers at the Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience in London, England, have concluded that learning a second language at a young age can actually alter the human brain. The anatomy or physical makeup of the brain is greatly affected by language when children are still in developmental stages and the introduction of a foreign language during this time can increase the development of the brain's grey matter.

What Is

Tourism and economic development are linked by the various ways in which tourism can contribute to the economic development of a tourist destination. This relationship between tourism and economic development is the basis for the dependence of some tourist-based economies on the effects of tourism for their economic development. For instance, tourism provides more jobs for local citizens, helps local citizens start businesses that cater to tourists, leads to the generation of revenue from tourist spending and fiscal policies, and aids in the development of infrastructure. One of the benefits or links between tourism and economic development is the fact that a vibrant tourist region provides employment for the citizens of that area. Tourism needs a lot of services in order to sustain the industry. For example, the hospitality industry creates jobs for people in businesses like hotels and restaurants.

Employment is a macroeconomic factor that contributes to the growth of an economy by providing workers with disposable income and consequently leading to an increase in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the region. Another way in which tourism and economic development are linked is through the provision of small or micro enterprises for certain citizens. The citizens that might benefit from small businesses linked to tourist include individual or sole entrepreneurs with limited funds and other types of collaborations that do not require a lot of finance. For instance, some people might open a store that mainly caters to the needs of tourists. They could collaborate with local artisans and craftsmen to supply them with handcrafted objects, which they would sell to the tourists as souvenirs. The store owners will share the profits with the local artisans, or they may buy the objects from them outright. This helps the economy by providing the poorer members of the community with disposable income. Tourists also like to visit places with a rich cultural heritage. Most times, these places are located in villages that would otherwise not receive much government attention. Due to the significance of the villages, they will receive more attention and more development as a result. Infrastructure to support the tourist market or trade includes factors like good airports, security, hotels and roads. Such factors help facilitate economic development and might not be as developed if not for their importance to the economy. For instance, a tourist destination that is located in a remote village will need good access roads, which might not be built if not for the tourist interest in the area.

Relawwaationship Between Tourism and Economic Development?

Tourism is an industry that encompasses a wide range of factors, including transportation, restaurants and other hospitality facilities, local places of attraction, and other related aspects like car rentals. The best tips for tourism industry development would be those that lead to the integration and greater cohesiveness between all of the identified factors, while maintaining a healthy balance with the available resources in terms of natural and human resources. To this end, the tourism industry development tips include the analysis of the different local tourism environments with the aim of applying a developmental process that fits the various unique environments. This also involves the application of more responsible behavior toward the attainment of developmental goals as well as the enactment of laws and regulations by the various communities aimed at encouraging development.

Since the tourism industry is split along the lines of local, national and international practices, the particular type of tourism industry development tips will include an analysis of the unique factors in place in the area under consideration with the aim of finding the exact type of developmental goals to pursue. For instance, the type of tourism practices in place in an area where the main points of attractions are deserts will differ from the exact type of practice in coastal areas where the main attractions are related to the water. A place like Egypt would have different considerations from a place like Alaska or even the Bahamas, and these considerations will help in the development of tourism. The level of development for the society or community of the local tourism will also play a key role in the type of tourism industry development for that region. As such, lessdeveloped countries will have their own peculiar sets of challenges that may differ significantly from that of more developed countries.

An example of how the tourism industry development in a less-developed country can differ from that in a more developed country can be seen in the area of challenges that are presented by a lack of adequate transportation, a lack of stability in the government, and a lack of the technology needed to enhance communication and other desirable factors. A tourism industry development application that can help build the industry is the enactment of laws by the various governments and local governments aimed at improving the tourist trade. Such laws could include the reduction of custom duties that tourists have to pay, or the reduction of the tax on their purchases.

What Are the Best Tips for Tourism Industry Development? Between Tourism and Community Development? The connection between
tourism and community development lies in the impact that tourism has on the host community. Any economic benefits found in tourism make up the most notable association between tourism and community development. Other effects of tourism may be socio-cultural or environmental. A significant number of communities depend on tourism as a primary source of income. For these communities, the income derived from a well-managed tourist trade could translate to an increase in tax revenue and a general improvement in the economy of the community. Tourism contributes to the growth of a community because it creates a lot of jobs in the various industries associated with tourism. Some examples include the hospitality industry, transportation, crafts and arts as well as entertainment. The association between tourism and community development can be seen in the manner in which an increase in business opportunities and corresponding employment opportunities contribute to an increase in the earning potential and standard of living of the members in the community. Tourism and community development are also linked by the effect that tourism has on the improvement on the infrastructural framework in the community. A country or community that is a tourist destination will undertake certain infrastructural development projects that will make the area more attractive to visitors. For instance, the community will invest in the construction of good roads as well as the establishment of a good transportation and communication system and other types of projects aimed at enticing more visitors to the area. Such investments also help enhance and facilitate community development, because the local community members will benefit from them as well.

Another way in which tourism and community development are associated is through the impact that tourism has on the environment. For instance, most tourist destinations rely on natural resources as their main tourist attractions. Such tourist attractions are most often places like waterfalls, unspoiled beachfronts, local flora and fauna as well as historic sites and monuments. Places that are considered to be essential to the tourist industry are usually preserved and maintained in a manner that would probably not have been the case if not for their importance to the community. Most times, serious effort is put into the restoration and protection of these places, including ecological studies aimed at further development of the community as a whole.