Opinion/Resources/Teen Perspective 

By Teen Opinion Contributor Maggie Verdught

Photo: Pixabay

Learning a language is daunting. Like any hobby, sport, or skill, it takes much time and practice.

So, unfortunately, many people (especially in the United States!) procrastinate and never end up learning another language. This is understandable! But I’m here to tell you that it is worth it. Depending on your goals and motivations for learning the language, you can create a successful plan to do so. No matter who you are, language learning can benefit you. Let’s discover those benefits together!

The cons

Before we skip to the good part, it’s important to discuss the cons of learning another language. I briefly mentioned some of these in the introduction, but here’s a full-on list for you to ponder: 

• Takes a significant amount of time
• Needs consistent practicing to improve
• Difficult to be consistent with no motivation or goals for your language learning

You probably noticed that the words in bold are, in fact, the key ingredients to achieving success in learning a language! These key ingredients are the most difficult things to do. Now, it’s time to see why investing in learning a language (despite the challenges and difficulties) is worthwhile!

Challenging yourself

Isn’t it satisfying to have undertaken a good old-fashioned challenge? Maybe you’ve embarked on a physical challenge to walk outside daily, or drink more water this New Year. Or perhaps you have decided to spiritually challenge yourself by reading the Bible in a year. Whatever you’ve committed to, I hope you will strongly consider challenging yourself once again by beginning to learn a new language! How is “challenging yourself” a benefit of language learning? Well, it pushes you outside of your comfort zone. Discomfort, as we all know, is the only way to grow. And it’s uncomfortable to learn a language. However, it’s worth it; not only will you grow as a person and feel satisfaction when you achieve your goals, but you will experience the other benefits in the rest of this article! 

If this still sounds rather unappealing to you, have no fear– fluency is not required. That’s right. You don’t have to be fluent to get something out of learning a language. “You get out of it what you put into it.” Create goals for yourself, and decide how much you want to challenge yourself in the area of language learning. 

Character building

This is a classic benefit of anything worthwhile in life that takes time, effort, and consistency. In regards to learning a language, this is especially true! I went to Portugal in June of 2024 (I wrote an article about it– go check it out if you haven’t already 😀). Part of what made the experience so awesome was the language. Maybe that sounds crazy, but I loved listening to spoken Portuguese! I had studied the language for a couple of months before the trip, so I was somewhat prepared to connect with the children and adults through language. A few weeks before the trip, I was getting a bit anxious and burnt out practicing my Portuguese. Maybe it’s not worth it. They will probably all speak English, anyway. Boy, was I wrong! Not only did my practice pay off and create a rich, meaningful experience for me, but my character was developed in a new way. Learning a language is humbling. Even if you have a knack for picking up new phrases, tones, and words, it is still quite difficult. Language learning requires humility, recognizing that we don’t understand everything. This reminds me of how our relationship with God is. We will never fully understand God, and yet, He gives us the opportunity to discover Himself in many ways through His Word. To know Him more, we spend time with Him, talk with Him, read His Word, and are taught about Him. These disciplines can be paralleled to language learning. Of course, language learning is NOT a substitute for knowing God – the comparison I’m making is that both pursuits yield the fruit of character development. 

Making connections with others

God created humans to be connected with other humans. We need people in our lives to thrive. After the Tower of Babel event, there was much chaos, disarray, and misunderstanding. That’s not what God has ever intended for us; He desires unity, peace, and clarity! That’s what I think is so awesome about learning another language. What the Enemy means for evil, God turns it for our good. We see God, yet again, as our Redeemer and Restorer when it comes to language. It’s beautiful. God allows us to learn other languages, giving us the opportunity to create connections between different people groups. It takes time and effort, but it’s worth it. 

Practically speaking, in your own life, think about the people that YOU interact with. Are there any immigrants in your community that speak a different language? Would you like to invest in learning that language? Perhaps you took a language class in high school, or college. Decide a language to learn based on your past, your present surroundings/everyday experiences, and your future plans. 

Remember that ultimately, fluency is not super important (well, unless it’s a priority/goal for you). By learning another language, even at a beginner level, you can cultivate beautiful connections with others. 

Summary

Have I convinced you? Learning a language is worth it! Anyone can do it. If you’re a parent, I highly recommend inviting your children into the process of learning (at a beginner level– it doesn’t have to be intense). Create goals, aim for consistency, and have lots of fun! 

Have a blessed week and an awesome first month of 2025!!

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The opinions in this article are specific to its author, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the entire Counter Culture Mom team. 

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Maggie VerDught is a high school student who enjoys learning about culture, news, and politics.

She is passionate about sharing the truth, especially with her generation. Maggie loves to run, read, and write poetry in her spare time.

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