Vélez Rivera 1

Mirelys Z. Vélez Rivera

Dr. Cynthia Aradillas

ENGL 1302-181

20 October 2023

The Importance of Language

Introduction

Some might wonder, what is the importance and benefits of knowing more than one

language? “The development and use of language is arguably the most important characteristic

that separates humans from other species” (Bryd 19). The reason for this is that language is an

important way of communication and expression for humans. Being able to understand what

other people are saying is very important if the individual wishes to express themselves, share

ideas, or even build relationships. The majority of the United States population is only English

spoken, but the other minority had to adapt to the country’s language. Whether it is in school,

work, or daily life, the ability to communicate with other peers is crucial in order to get your

work or main goal realized. But how does not knowing more than one language affect an

individual? Most of the time, when moving into a different country, students or workers, need to

learn that place's native language and learn all over again how to communicate properly in order

to be understood and complete their tasks or jobs. There are some disadvantages to learning

another language as an adult rather than as a baby because of the brain development.

Nevertheless, understanding more than one language could benefit the individual odds of

interpreting other people's ideas and intentions as it helps them be prepared in case of an

encounter with a foreigner or non-native speaker.

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Reasoning

According to Bryd's research, many researchers have intended their studies toward

monolingual speakers (19). However, recent information has confirmed that 50% of the world's

population is multilingual (Byrd 19). Nonetheless, at least in the United States, more than 10% of

the population is composed of foreigners and at least 20% of the population is considered

multilingual (Byrd 19). The United States does not have an official language declared and

because of this some might assume that naturally there is a great variety of languages spoken in

the country, but that is not the case. The majority of the people living in the United States only

speak English. Meaning even if they are the minority, there is still a good number of people in

the country who have adapted and learned another language to communicate with others. Thus,

the majority of the United States population still is monolingual and does not speak any other

foreign language.

There is nothing wrong with being monolingual; people are able to make a living and

have a successful career by just knowing one language. Even so, knowing more than one

language could improve an individual’s chances of having a more successful career or

educational experience. By being multilingual the individual could obtain better opportunities

because they are able to work internationally with people from another country, enhancing the

skills they have. Research conducted by Crossman and Clarke in the even mentions that many

universities have started to recognize the importance of an international perspective by

incorporating global or international elements into their graduate attribute statements (599-600).

Even though this research was performed in Australia, their “findings suggest that all

stakeholders identified clear connections between international experience and employability

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given outcomes associated with the forging of networks, opportunities for experiential learning,

language acquisition and the development of soft skills related to cultural understanding,

personal character way of thinking” (Crossman and Clarke 599). This means that knowing and

understanding a new language can open many new opportunities for an individual. As it was

mentioned previously, being able to understand what other people are saying is very important if

the individual wishes to express themselves, share ideas, or even build relationships. Whether it

is in school, work, or daily life, the ability to communicate with other peers has shown to be

important to get your job or main task realized. For example, if a person knew more than one

language, they could try applying for a job in a foreign country, get a job as an interpreter, or

even get a raise in their current job. Researchers suggest that “Being proficient in several foreign

languages is an essential part of the every-day life” (Steber and Rossi 1).

When is the best time to learn another language? Some people might say that the best

range to learn another language is from babies to toddlers as their brains are still more flexible

and open to learning new things. Others could argue that as an adult, people could have a better

comprehension of the learning process as they could associate words and compare them. In

regard to this assumption, David's research clarifies that as an adult, it could become more

challenging to learn another language than as a kid. In that research, she mentions that the reason

for this is that both children and adults have different linguistic building blocks. That research

also explains more saying that babies learn both single words and the sequences of phrase

composition. “In other words, young bilingual children learn that if they correctly match the

language with their conversational partner by getting a positive result” (Bryd 21). On the other

hand, adults “use single words as their building blocks, which makes it difficult for them to learn

the relationships between words” (David). Steber and Rossi’s article also adds to this concept by
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mentioning that in contrast to childhood, learning a new language could be highly challenging

for adults. Even so, professionals recognize that learning another language is one of the most

effective and practical ways to increase individual intellect and keep their minds sharp and on

task (Palmero).

Conclusion

Therefore, learning a new language can be very beneficial and important. Even though

learning from a young age could have been easier, as an adult, people could still learn a new

language. Although most people do understand the importance of learning a language in order to

communicate with others. The issue is that many people are not willing or interested in learning a

new language as they either find it too challenging or they do not see a practical need for it in

their daily lives. Another reason why could be that they feel discouraged by the difficulty or

motivation it requires to learn a new language and do not feel like committing to the learning

process. Either way, regardless of the reason why people do not wish to learn a new language,

there is no denying that language could improve a person's way of life by getting new jobs and

providing them with new opportunities.

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Works Cited:

Byrd, Dana. “Cognitive Benefits of Being Bilingual.” Journal of the Washington Academy of

Sciences, vol. 98, no. 3, 2012, pp. 19–30. Retrieved from

https://go.openathens.net/redirector/tamiu.edu?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-

journals/cognitive-benefits-being-bilingual/docview/1285129889/se-2

Crossman, Joana Elizabeth, and Marilyn Clarke. “International Experience and Graduate

Employability: Stakeholder Perceptions on the Connection.” Higher Education, vol. 59,

no. 5, 2010, pp. 599–613, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-009-9268-z.

David, Sophia U., and Amelia Gully. “Starting Big: Why Is Learning a Language Harder for

Adults than for Children?” Frontiers for Young Minds, 13 Apr. 2023,

https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2023.1011546#:~:text=Our%20research

%20suggests%20that%20adults,without%20pauses%2C%20in%20their%20input.

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Li, Xiaoguang, and Yao Lu. “Education–Occupation Mismatch and Nativity Inequality Among

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https://doi.org/10.1215/00703370-10404849.

Liu, Ping, et al. “Flow Experience in Foreign Language Writing: Its Effect on Students’ Writing

Process and Writing Performance.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 13, 2022, pp. 952044–

952044, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.952044.
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Palmero, Luz. “How Learning a New Language Helps Brain Development.” Whitby School,

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development#:~:text=It%20helps%20with%20ignoring%20distractions,buffer%20your

%20brain%20against%20aging. Accessed 13 Oct. 2023.

Snowling, Margaret J., and Charles Hulme. “Annual Research Review: Reading Disorders

Revisited – the Critical Importance of Oral Language.” Journal of Child Psychology and

Psychiatry, vol. 62, no. 5, 2021, pp. 635–53, https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13324.

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no. 2, 2021, pp. e0246421–e0246421, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0246421.

Timmermeister, Mona, et al. “No Bilingual Benefits Despite Relations Between Language

Switching and Task Switching.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 11, 2020, pp. 1832–1832,

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