Learning a second language can be beneficial to you in a number of ways. There can be government grants to help you become bilingual or better, and knowing multiple languages can help you be better qualified for government grants or scholarships. There are plenty of advantages to knowing more than one language too.
You may have the opportunity to study a new language at a college, in adult education classes, in community outreach programs, or other venues.
These typically are at least subsidized by government grants, so any amount you’d have to pay would be reduced.
There are a number of reasons that you may want to consider studying a new language. First, if you are involved in business transactions, especially in a multinational company or an exporting firm, you’ve probably by with just knowing English. However, the number of Mandarin (Chinese) speakers and Spanish speakers exceed the number of native English speakers worldwide. It’s to your advantage to speak to your customers or colleagues in their native tongues. There often are government grants provided to establish or expand export operations, and learning to speak the language of your potential customers may be part of the funded activities.
When you travel abroad, whether it’s for business or pleasure, your experience will be much enhanced by speaking the native language of the country you’re in. When you’re either not understanding what’s going on around you or relying on translation, there’s a barrier between you and the people with whom you’re trying to interact.
Even if you’re not operating overseas, knowing a second language can accelerate your career, whether you’re an employee or a business owner. Some companies pay a higher salary to employees who achieve fluency in multiple languages. If you’re a business owner, you increase your customer base when you speak to potential clients in their native language(s).
There are some secondary ways that you benefit from learning another language. People who study brain functions have found that the study of a second language opens up learning capabilities in many other areas of the mind and promotes mental acuity. In addition, studying another language improves usage of your native language reading, writing, and speaking skills. Here’s why. When you grow up with a particular language, you just learn it by imitating others and associating sounds with objects. You don’t really get a chance to think about the elements of usage and learn the mechanics of the language. You can do that with a second language, though, and apply it to your native usage. Improved writing skills, especially, will help you when you’re applying for government grants. The essence of government grant writing is persuasiveness, and you do a better job when you really think about the meaning and placement of the words you use.
Then, finally, you may be able to qualify for a scholarship on the basis of speaking a particular language. In particular, The Fulbright Program seeks to provide students and professionals positions for studying and teaching abroad. These exchange opportunities are partially funded by government grants and are considered a prestigious, desirable award to receive. They can further lead to a lucrative profession in diplomatic or international work.
It is worthwhile in many ways to learn additional languages, and even more rewarding when there are government grants to subsidize or cover the cost of doing so. You might even say that it’s très bon, muy bueno, or sehr gut.