1. Mo’ confidence, mo’ fun 

Learning a language boosts your confidence: You will make new friends, understand movies without subtitles, and you’ll even be able to help tourists who ask for directions. Compliments, admiration and occasional applause can be a pleasant side effect when learning a language. 

2. Up the brain ante 

Your brain cells will step up their game when you learn a new language. Your memory will improve, which is a huge benefit when trying to find keys or acing exams. That extra brainpower will also help you make better decisions faster. How awesome is that? 

3. Take the road less traveled 

When you learn a new language, your vacations will become so much more exciting. Even with basic language skills, you can travel off the beaten path and experience the adventure of a lifetime. You will get to see a different, more authentic side of a country and make new friends (and take cooler pictures to make your old friends jealous.) 

 4. Oh la la! 

Accents are sexy. Everything sounds better when said with an accent – you can basically read the phonebook and it will be cute. So show off your new language skills loudly and proudly and try to talk your way out of that parking ticket. 

5. Let’s talk 

Attending a language course abroad is not only fun, but you will make a ton of new friends from all over the world. Thanks to social media, it is easier than ever to stay in touch and practice your language skills together (makes homework fun, doesn’t it?) 

6. The world is waiting 

A new language allows you to live, work or study in another country. Have you been dreaming of opening a café in Paris or getting accepted at an American university? Speaking the language is the first step to living that dream. 

7. Hold on, London. Paris is on the other line. 

Speaking at least two languages will jumpstart your career. Being a global citizen who is able to communicate with people from all over the world is crucial in our connected world. Oh and you will make more money – a second language is basically the gift that keeps on giving. 

8. Open + tolerant = awesome 

A new language helps you to understand other people and see the world through their eyes. You will experience a new way of living, learn new customs and realize that there is more than one way to do laundry or throw a dinner party. Some things will be better, others will simply be different. 

9.Over 30% of all languages are endangered 

Language diversity may be widespread, but according to UNESCO languages Atlas, there are as many as 2,473 languages that are in danger of becoming extinct. Up to 90% of languages spoken today will disappear within the next 100 years. One such language is Pawnee spoken by the Native tribes of North America.

Although there are still a few elders who are able to speak this ancient language, the youngest members are taught English in schools, which has become the dominant language throughout community. Experts expect Pawnee to die out in as little as two years. 

Although there are still a few elders who are able to speak this ancient language, the youngest members are taught English in schools, which has become the dominant language throughout community. Experts expect Pawnee to die out in as little as two years. 

10 . The Olympics has a language translation forum 

Global events like the Olympics have an established translation forum, which first moved into the social media space for the 2012 London Olympics.

However, the first forum to be officially established was the 2014 winter Olympics in Russia. The International Olympic Committee hired some 1000 professional linguists to help communicate with visitors throughout the Games.

Each Olympics has three official languages, English, French and the host nation. The translation forum expands the total number of available languages to seven and can be accessed by an app for online users or a call centre that provides directions. The other official languages are Chinese, Japanese, German and Korean. 

11. 90% of languages are spoken by less than 100,000  

The majority of languages are spoken by small groups. According to the Council of Europe, 96% of languages are spoken by 4% of the global population and 90% are spoken by less than 100,000 people.

Although the number of people speaking a language doesn’t make a language endangered directly, minority languages are vulnerable to extinction. It is estimated that around 2300 languages are vulnerable. Providing the language is passed down to younger generations, the language will survive.