Learning a foreign language as the best tool to understand yourself

by Michael Gorman

Learning languages has a wide variety of benefits, such as cultural tolerance, ability to communicate with people from different cultures, better memory, and many others. Immersing yourself in a new culture expands your knowledge about the world and opens a new awesome period in your life when you make discoveries. For example, learning German will allow you to discover a rich German culture on a new level and appreciate its contribution to European and world heritage because you can actually feel like a true member of this culture. The same thing can be said about any other country and culture, so the opportunities are really infinite.

It is commonly perceived that learning new languages makes a person focus more on them because the foreign ways are the desired outcome of the learning. While it is true, have you ever thought about show other languages can help to learn and understand your own way in this world? It is logical that having information about a foreign culture allows to compare it with the native culture and make certain conclusions about their places in the “big picture.” It is certainly a fun thing to speculate about, so let’s take some time and explain the connection between foreign language learning and the learner.

Language and Culture Connection

These two factors are strongly intertwined and no language can be effectively learned without studying the culture of the country. Given that a culture is the soul of any people, learning their language will inevitably lead you to discovering their traditions, customs, and other features that differentiate them from other peoples. Let’s assume that a French-native person learns German and reaches the point where he begins to truly understand the place of German language and culture in the region. For example, how it impacted the languages of the neighboring countries and how it shaped their cultures may be an eye-opener to German influences in France. As the result, the person may develop another self-identity because his views on his own and neighboring cultures might change.

Therefore, by connecting language and culture, a learner can discover the similarities and differences between foreign and own countries, appreciate them, and develop a new self-identity based on the discoveries.

Language and Interest Connection

Let’s imagine the following situation: you are very fond of peace and calm in your daily life and appreciate spending quality time in nature. Due to this reason, you decided to learn Swedish, because this country has the most beautiful nature and enjoyed more than two hundred years of peace. Moreover, Swedish culture is tolerant and egalitarian, but progressive at the same time, which you especially like. When you travel to Sweden and visit the local fjords, you are astonished by their beauty and calm they nurture in you. This example shows how a person from a different country can discover something really personal in a foreign culture that is relatively unknown to him. As the result, a person continues to learn about himself regardless of the age because new experiences help to discover interests.

New languages can also introduce people from smaller countries to new kinds of music, business, and ways of living that are not generally practiced in their cultures, says Nick Young, an English language tutor from Proessaywriting. For example, a person from Kenya can discover his or her interest in music by listening to American or British rock because other kinds of music are preferred in the native culture. Therefore, this person becomes more aware of globalization and Western culture, which, in turn, helps to understand the differences between this culture and other ones and shape more distinct self-identity.

Conclusion

Learning new language is a great experience because it helps to discover a completely different culture, a way of life, music, business, traditions, and many other things. When a person becomes sufficiently aware of the foreign culture by mastering its language, it becomes possible to identify the differences between the native and alien culture. As the result, the person begins to understand how he or she is different from people in other countries, thus shaping a more distinct cultural identity. In other cases, a language learner can re-discover themselves because of foreign experience by identifying specific aspects of their culture that may be attractive to them, such as music. Discovering that other countries are attractive can really change you because it convinces you to decide what is better for you and what path to follow.

Languages are not just a tool to discovering the world but understand true yourself. We strongly encourage you to learn new languages and experience the cultural differences because they will tell you your own place in the world and allow understanding your interests, personality, and true self.

About the writer

Michael Gorman is high skilled editor and proofreader who currently works at A-writer. He is proficient in blog writing and online freelance networking. Feel free to contact him via Facebook.

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