Does it pay off to speak/know another language?.




   The  answer  to  the  above  question  is  a  big  YES, it  does  pay  off, and  in  more  than  one  way. Let  us  look  at  some  of  the  ways  that  it  pays  off  to  be  able  to  speak  a  second/foreign  language. Bilingualism/multilingualism  opens  doors  to  almost  every  sector  of  the  economy, from  the  financial  sector, to  the  healthcare  sector  and  also  for  careers  in  government. Everywhere  you  go, translators  and  interpreters  are  in  demand. For  example, in  the  healthcare  sector, you’ll  find  translators/interpreters  on  site  at  most  hospitals  and  clinics. This  is  because  some  of  the  patients  who  visit  the  hospital  may  not  speak  the  same  language  as  the  healthcare  providers, and  this  is  why  the  will  have  bi-lingual  people  on  site, or  on  call. In  most  court  houses, you’re  also  going  to  find  translators/interpreters  either  on  site  or  on  call. Technological  advances  have  ushered  in  the  virtual  workplace. Applications  and  systems  like  skype/zoom  allow  people  in  different  geographical  locations  to  communicate  as  effectively  as  if  they  were  in  the  same  room. This  means  that  a  bilingual  person  could  be  contracted  by  an  enterprise  that’s  in  a  different  continent  and  be  able  to  make  a  living  without  having  to  leave  the  comfort  of  their  office/house. The  virtual  economy  has  opened  up  more  opportunities  for  bilingual/multilingual  people  and  this  trend  is  set  to  continue.



    The  other  benefit  of  being  bilingual/multilingual  is  the  ability  to  communicate  with  people  of  different  backgrounds. Whereas  this  may  not  have  a  direct  monetary  benefit, its  value  can’t  be  overlooked. Consider  how  convenient  it  is  when  one  goes  to  vacation  in  a  place  where  a  different  language  is  spoken. If  you  as  the  vacationer  is  able  to  speak  that  language, it  makes  the  experience  more  satisfying. Getting  around  becomes  easy  and  so  does  learning  about  the  place, its  people, the  culture  and  other  important  factors. So, as  you  can  see, there  are  tangible  benefits  that  come  with  being  able  to  speak  a  second/foreign  language. If  you  have  the  desire  to  learn  a  second/another  language, don’t  let  any  obstacles  stand  in  your  way.

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