#209 Benefits of learning English
Hi, I am Georgiana, your English teacher and founder of SpeakEnglishPodcast.com. Speaking English is way easier than you think. You just need to use the right materials and techniques. Today I am going to talk about the benefits of learning English as an adult. And the truth is that there are many, and some of them are surprising. And with a mini-story, you will practice your spoken English. I'll ask you lots of questions that you'll have to answer right away. It's like having a conversation with another person in English. Before we get started, go to my website SpeakEnglishPodcast.com to get the transcript. It's free! Ok. Let's start! #1 It is an excellent exercise for our brain. Many times we go to the gym to tone our muscles. We also try to lose weight to be ready for the beach in summer. We don't always succeed, but that's another story. :) In the same way, learning a new language is like sending our brain to the gym. We stimulate it with all sorts of new sounds, words we didn't know, grammar, expressions, and other elements. This mental exercise is very healthy, as we help our brain to stay active. Many experts recommend learning a language when we are older to maintain our cognitive ability. It helps us to improve our memory and concentration. Imagine the number of words you end up learning—all of them new. And then, you have to learn how to use them according to context, sentence order, etc. All this new information accumulates in an orderly fashion in our brain and is ready to be used. This process improves our ability to remember all kinds of things. Moreover, we learn to concentrate better. For example, when you listen to this episode, your concentration level is higher than when you listen to an episode in your mother tongue. So, it's a great thing! #2 You learn a new culture and a new way of thinking. Every language is necessarily linked to culture. This implies customs, ways of understanding life, traditions, habits, values, and history. I find discovering a new culture fascinating. It serves to learn something new and contrast and reevaluate the culture in your own country. In addition, you learn to look at things from a new perspective. This can help you to be more original and creative in your daily life. #3 Improve your self-esteem. Yes, learning a new language as an adult and conversing with native speakers is an excellent boost to your self-esteem. You feel better because you have achieved something that many people think is impossible. I remember my first conversations in Spanish. I made mistakes, and my vocabulary was limited, but what a joy to talk to people from other countries! That's always a good feeling. Get the transcript here: https://speakenglishpodcast.com/podcast/