Top 10 Reasons to Learn a Language: Rosetta Stone

There are many reasons to learn a new language - from cultural understanding to travel to career opportunities. So whether you want to learn Spanish, French, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese or another language, here are our top 10 reasons for learning another language.

Expand your horizons. Traveling abroad without learning the native language means your experience won’t be as rich. Instead of going off the beaten path and discovering the authentic reality of the country, you’re trapped with the other tourists. Knowing the language will help you comfortably navigate all sorts of situations, from asking for directions to ordering food at restaurants to making meaningful connections with the locals.

Open doors professionally. As the world grows more connected, professionals with language skills will have a distinct competitive edge. You’ll be able to show respect to business associates while you make the entire world a potential place to work. Language can be the key to making your profession a global adventure. Whether you’re in the non-profit, business, education or government sectors, your language skills can be the difference between seizing an opportunity and yielding it to someone else.

Sharpen your mind. When you learn a new language, you exercise the language centers of your brain, boosting your understanding of languages in general. In a way, language learning is a “two-for-one” deal: You’ll find a new way to express yourself in another tongue, while enhancing your abilities in your native language at the same time!

Make the grade. Learning a language requires discipline and diligence, which can be applied to other subjects, from mathematics to history. Studies have shown that with each additional year of foreign language instruction, scores on college and graduate school exams improve incrementally.

Immerse yourself in arts and culture. Many of the world’s cultural treasures were written or conceived in another language. Translations miss the nuance, the metaphors and the cultural references in any given work. (For example, imagine trying to explain the English phrase “That’s cool” abroad.) Learning the language of origin opens up the full, rich and intimately detailed experiences of these masterpieces, from the writings of Sartre to the opera of Mozart.

Grab the global market. Once you’ve learned a new language, you can take your business to countries in Asia, Europe and beyond. The world is expanding the marketplace exponentially, and savvy businesspeople will want to take advantage of that, communicating with suppliers, advertising professionals and consumers. Sell your product, your service, even yourself. Globally.

Explore at home. American cities feature a wealth of cultural diversity and discovery, from vibrant Chinatowns in New York and San Francisco to Calle Ocho in Miami where Latin culture thrives. Armed with the ability to speak Mandarin Chinese or Spanish, you can truly taste the flavors in our great “melting pot.” You’ll become an insider rather than a tourist. In addition, many of your neighbors are pursuing the American Dream all over the United States, bringing their native tongue along with their entrepreneurial spirit.

Gain more perspective. You go to more than one media source for the news, so why not use language to see the world from another point of view? Learning Spanish may help you see how the citizens of Spain and Latin American countries perceive world events. Not only will this make you more global and connected, you’ll find that by reading a foreign-language newspaper, or by watching a foreign-language television broadcast, you’re actively reinforcing your language skills.

Lend a helping hand. What are you passionate about? Ending global hunger? Empowering people in developing countries? Educating the world about the dangers of climate change? Follow your passion. Join the Peace Corps, volunteer abroad or go on a mission. With a new language, you’ll discover that your goodwill goes much further with the ability to communicate.

Improve yourself for a lifetime. Many of the ways we improve ourselves are temporary but an investment in language learning lasts forever. From new employment opportunities to immersive, enriching vacations abroad, language-learning opens up new avenues of possibility with each and every skill you master.

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What People Are Saying

Within a month of using your Spanish program daily, I had learned more than I had in years of lessons. Thank you for developing a program that does more than just translate the words! — Kacia Strous

I decided I would take a trip to Italy. What I didn't know was the language! So I bought Rosetta Stone and I learned fluent Italian in two months. I couldn't believe it. Thanks for making learning another language possible. — Jasmine Cullen

This program is addictive. I bought Spanish (Latin America). I've used other learning tools and made practically no progress. I'm actually making some progress and it doesn't even seem like work. — Deborah McAteer

I took the trip of a lifetime to Cuba to renovate an orphanage. I bought Rosetta Stone Spanish and when we got to the orphanage, I was able to speak to the children and play with them. — Joshua Barrett

Now, not only can I understand my patients when they explain their symptoms, I can ask questions about the past, present and future. I can make conversation and connect with them on a personal level that I could never do before I started learning Spanish with Rosetta Stone. — Marcey Gillespie

I have tried classes, tapes, language school and nothing compares with Rosetta Stone. I could not believe how quickly I was able to begin speaking and communicating in another language all without memorizing vocabulary and phrases. — Andrew Bloemker

Forty years ago I spent time in Paris. When I had the opportunity to take a consulting job in Morocco, I turned to Rosetta Stone to see if I could resurrect some French. I amazed myself and had a wonderful time in Morocco. Merci, Rosetta Stone! — John Lopez

I took Spanish in college, but now, with Rosetta Stone I can study at my leisure and when I am in the mood to learn… Even after the first lesson I started learning, which is very satisfying and makes you want to learn even more. — Edmond Shipman

I would definitely recommend Rosetta Stone as a learning and teaching tool. The interactive capabilities...the ability of the program to teach you without even realizing that you’re being taught and to speak, listen, and choose pictures based on context is the optimal learning experience for anyone who wants to learn another language. — Tory LeVitre
2007 Teacher of the Year

I've studied a variety of foreign languages for years, and have taught myself a few of them, but I have never seen, and am not aware of, any other language course with such a dynamic and rapid approach to language learning. — William Clark

I was surprised how quickly I was able to understand, write and speak Spanish by associating words and sentence structure through pictures. Now I can adequately hold my own in conversation--all within six weeks of purchase. — Daniel Moran

When I started using Rosetta Stone, I was amazed that nothing has ever helped me learn so much in such a short amount of time. Rosetta Stone is the only way to learn a language. I love it. You have helped me achieve a huge goal in my life. Thank you! — Julianne M. Necuze

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