I am currently writing an essay about the importance of learning a second language. I believe I am off to a good start, but I didn't think it could hurt asking you guys for ideas as well. What do you consider to be benefits that come from a second language?
A few that I have
*Helps with work as a result of globalization
*Employers enjoy employees who speak multiple languages
*Helps improve foreign relations
*Helps on vacation
*Opens social doors
Someone (IrishLuigi?) posted a link that had a bunch of examples of how language affects thinking. Such as that Russian has a lot of words for different shades of blue so people that speak Russian are able to differentiate them more. Or there was some African or something language that didn't have left, right, etc, but only cardinal directions so they were able to know if they were facing North, South, etc.
Someone (IrishLuigi?) posted a link that had a bunch of examples of how language affects thinking. Such as that Russian has a lot of words for different shades of blue so people that speak Russian are able to differentiate them more. Or there was some African or something language that didn't have left, right, etc, but only cardinal directions so they were able to know if they were facing North, South, etc.
That's pretty cool. Language definitely changes the way you think.
Learning a second language also helps you learn more about your first language in my opinion. While you may have been speaking the words all your life, thinking about languages can really make you reflect on the origins and meaning of what if coming out of your mouth.
Learning a second language also makes learning the third a thousand times easier.
So learning something like Esperanto which was MADE to be easy to learn would make a harder language even easier to learn.
Learning a new language make you smarter.
I'm pretty sure there's a bunch of multilingual morons, but that does give you a one up on the other morons at least.
@Aegir:
Learning a new language makes you smarter.
fixed it for you 
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That's pretty cool. Language definitely changes the way you think.
Learning a second language also helps you learn more about your first language in my opinion. While you may have been speaking the words all your life, thinking about languages can really make you reflect on the origins and meaning of what if coming out of your mouth.
Pretty much. On top of that, you think more about what is potentially confusing about your own language that you didn't notice before. I thought that the lack of 'pluralisms' in Japanese was confusing, when I was reminded that in English, some pluralisms are barely even noticeable (ex. sheep, elk, moose), and some even partially change the word themselves (cactus, cacti), and in the case of 'American English' I believe (and possibly in 'British English' occasionally, not sure..), cacti and fungi, despite being similar 'pluralisms', sound completely different ('cact-eye', 'fung-ee').
If that wasn't bad enough, there's a multitude/smorgasbord/mass of extra 'filler' words in our vocabulary than many others, there's homo-phonic words, double meaning ones…
Let's just say the ear becomes more sensitive to these things! <_<
Well, when I started to learn English (when I was 8 years old I think) I thought my language was way easier. Now, I find that statement quite funny as I noticed years ago that it's the complete opposite. Everybody needs to grow up…
Only thing that I don't like about English is how my stupid classmates (and almost everybody in my school) use it. It's especially annoying when they sing... and I somehow feel that they don't understand the whole thing. But I do... and my ears bleed. But other than that, I really like this language. Only problem is that sometimes it's hard to express myself because my own language is more elaborate. But I can live with that
About French: it's really challenging, much more then English (obviously). But I love it. I'm glad I didn't choose German (not because of the language itself, they said the teacher is pretty bad and they told me the exact opposite about the French teacher).
All in all, a second language helps to think differently than before, and not just about languages but cultures and people too.
