In recent years, people are starting to realise more and more how important our mental health and well-being is. On World Mental Health Day, this feels like a better time than ever to reflect on what truly makes us happy and fulfilled. For us at IH London, languages have always provided a beacon of hope through the tough times. In this blog, we will tell you why we believe languages can make such an enormous difference to your mental health and well-being and why you should consider learning a foreign language.
Confidence Booster
Picking up a brand new skill and the journey to becoming an experienced plurilingual speaker does wonders for your confidence. There is no better feeling than mastering that first exchange with a native speaker, finally nailing that difficult irregular conjugation or hitting those linguistic targets of yours. Language learning is no walk in the park, so when you jump those hurdles and overcome the psychological barriers, you get a real sense of achievement and rightly so!
Meet New People & Make Friends
Attending a language class is a great way to get out, socialise and make friends! In our foreign language courses, students meet like-minded individuals who share that same passion for languages and who have similar linguistic ambitions. Language learning can be a very sociable experience as students form connections with people from different backgrounds and countries, as well as expose themselves to new cultures. It’s not often that you find yourself in such a multicultural environment where you are surrounded by people from around the world (not just London) and fully immersed in a mass inter-cultural exchange, so what’s not to love!
New Hobby
Language learning can be a very enjoyable and equally therapeutic hobby too. Rather than wasting away precious time mindlessly scrolling through TikTok or Instagram, picking up a language is a productive and rewarding activity. Binging on foreign language series on Netflix, tucking into some podcasts, listening to typical music in the target language or even taking up a class at IH London… these are all great ways to immerse yourself in a language of your choosing. Everyone learns in different ways, but once you’ve found your best technique you’ll start to thrive and love the process.
Take You on an Adventure
There’s no better feeling than the infinite freedom, thrill and excitement of traveling, and being able to speak the local language will undoubtedly make your experience even more memorable. You would be able to get to know the locals properly, ask for help or directions if you’re stuck as well as show off in restaurants and bars… which is all the motivation you need to start studying! Before you jet off, putting in some time to learn a bit of the local language will go a long way and you will certainly reap the rewards while you’re out there.
Professional Development & Career Boost
Stuck at a crossroads with your career? Adding a language to your CV opens up so many opportunities. The job market is particularly competitive at the moment, so having a language up your sleeve will make you stand out from the crowd and impress any recruiters right away. For those wanting to spice up their career, being plurilingual gives you a big advantage as you will more likely be asked to go on swanky international business trips or relocate abroad… and who doesn’t want that?
Basically, the benefits of learning a language are countless and it’s easy to see why it can make such a big difference to your mental well-being and self-esteem. From boosting your confidence to connecting you with a diverse group of people, language learning is the gift that keeps on giving and it grants you an incredible sense of fulfilment, pride and excitement that can’t help but put a smile on your face.
If you’re feeling inspired and want to take that first step in your language learning adventure, IH London will welcome you with open arms. Find out more about our upcoming online and face-to-face foreign language courses here.