Reading in a Foreign Language: The Ultimate Language Learning Tool?

You’ve probably heard this before if you’ve ever taken a foreign language class. And it’s true, reading truly is one of the best tools out there to really master a foreign language, and here’s why:

You can analyze the grammatical structures and nuances.

When you read in a foreign language, you can analyze how a native speaker employs certain grammatical structures. This, combined with the visual memory reinforcement that reading provides can help you to improve both your speaking and writing in your target language.

You are exposed to a large amount of vocabulary.

Reading is also an exceptional tool when it comes to learning new words. Not only are you able to learn these words, but by reading them in a book or in an article, you are able to see how they are used in context without relying on a translation. This will eventually allow you to express yourself more freely in the language you are learning.

What should I be reading to improve my language skills?

Anything, really. However, there are some types of reading material that are better than others. To start, if you have not been learning your target language for very long, it may be better to read children’s books, as they usually have simplified vocabulary that will be easier for you to understand in the beginning.

As you progress, reading books that you have already read in your native language are another great way that you can use to improve your language skills. It is a fantastic for picking up new words based on context clues and analyzing grammatical structure.

Finally, another useful tip is to follow along with an audiobook. Not only are you getting the benefits that reading in a foreign language provides, but you are also able to hear how a native speaker would pronounce these new words that you are learning. Moreover, you are able to work on your reading and listening comprehension skills simultaneously.

If you really want to improve your reading comprehension as well as your writing skills in another language, try to find material to read in your target language and just see how much you’ll improve!

Bilingualism: Speaking a Foreign Language Can Improve Your Career Prospects

One thing is for sure, the job market can be extremely competitive. You need every possible asset you can have to set yourself apart from other candidates and show your future employer that you are the best person for the job.

Many people are aware that speaking a foreign language is a beneficial skill to have on your resumé, but just what exactly are the workplace advantages that you might have if you are bilingual?

More Job Prospects

Some people think that foreign languages are only beneficial if you are working in fields that require you to speak another language, such as translation or interpretation. However, you can have more job opportunities in several different domains if you speak a foreign language. As more and more businesses move online and open their markets to the rest of the globe, being bilingual, or even multilingual, means that your skills can be a great asset in sectors such as marketing or sales, for example. Between two candidates with roughly the same skill set and amount of experience, the recruiter is likely to choose the person who is proficient in a foreign language if the other candidate is not.

Higher Potential Earnings

It is also important to note that an employee who speaks a foreign language is likely to have a higher salary than their monolingual counterpart. In fact, bilingual or multilingual candidates oftentimes earn between five and twenty percent more than the base salary rate for monolingual candidates. There is an extra advantage if you speak a language that is less common, as proficient speakers of these languages don’t come around every day. Besides English, some of the best languages to learn are Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, and Arabic which have 879, 436, and 422 million native speakers, respectively.

Career Evolution Opportunities

Not only does being proficient in a foreign language open more job opportunities for candidates, but it can also give you a chance to evolve in your career. If you speak a foreign language, you may have the chance to take your company abroad and represent them in another country. You may also be able to climb the corporate ladder a little faster and earn promotions more quickly than a monolingual candidate.

The advantages to being bilingual or multilingual are endless, and it’s never too late to start learning a foreign language. With time and dedication, anyone can become proficient in a new language, and the benefits will be well worth the effort you put in.

How Important is Good Grammar?

As someone who owns a company that provides translation and interpretation services, I feel the need to give a disclaimer here. The following article is about language learning for adult students of English. This is not for professional interpreters or translators.

Good grammar helps people communicate more clearly - until it doesn’t. I am a word nerd and think grammar is important. The essence of what we do it to teach people English to help facilitate clear communication. Most of the people we work with have studied English in their native country and can write quite well. Speaking is another story. I have learned that people hold others to different standards than they do to themselves. When reading an email, article, blog post, etc. from an American, I expect impeccable grammar. I also hope for perfect English (but don’t often hear it). When reading or listening to non-native speakers of English, or as we in the language industry call LEPs (Limited English Proficient), I expect to hear errors. I don’t think I am the only one.

There are those who find it difficult to speak to people who have thick accents - whether they be native English speakers from other parts of the United States, other countries, or LEPs. Many people can understand what someone is trying to say with thick accents and imperfect grammar. We fill in the blanks with words that make sense within the given context of the situation.

If one’s goal is to speak with perfect grammar, then the road is long and lots of practice is going to have to take place. Living in the country where the language is spoken every day is helpful if one takes the opportunity to interact with people and not hole themselves up in their new house or apartment for weeks on end. If one wants to communicate, which should be the goal of taking language classes of any kind, perfection is not necessary. I don’t know if it is a cultural difference or a difference among individual students, but I have noticed that adult students from Japan often try to formulate perfect sentences in their heads before uttering them aloud. Thinking before speaking is generally considered a virtue, but in some cases, it’s a hindrance to communication. On a sentence per minute basis, I once taught a woman from China who worked in the automotive industry. She could speak multiple imperfect sentences per minute, yet was able to communicate very quickly and effectively.

There must be a fine line between speaking with fewer grammatical errors and daring to speak imperfectly.

How Long Does it Take to Learn a Language?

How long does it take to learn a language? It depends on what you want to learn to do with the language and how fluent you want to be. People often say that children pick up languages very easily; however, although children might be able to communicate on a playground or in a classroom, they are not able to read or write complex text or give formal speeches in perfect English. They also don’t have the same responsibilities that adults do. People often have higher expectations of what passes for fluency of adults than they do of children. People forget that adults have study skills that can help them learn a language to help them reach their goals.. Fluency is, in part, a matter of frequent practice over time.

Learning a language is different from speaking it. Most adult Japanese people I know learned English in junior high school, but prefer to use email than talk on the phone. (This also seems to be a trend with young people in the United States, but that is a different matter.) Many Japanese did not have much practice speaking the English language, but can write quite well and can understand much of the written word. In this case, they have learned the English language, but need more speaking practice.

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