5 Reasons Everyone Should Know at Least Two Languages Infographic

5 Reasons Everyone Should Know at Least Two Languages Infographic

People who know two (or more) languages can perform a host of super human feats. They can order dinner in another country without accidentally getting broiled squid. They can make friends with people from different cultures and countries. They can also ask for directions to the restroom and actually end up in the restroom. In our opinion, everyone should learn another language!

Here are just a few (totally objective) reasons why:

1. Students who study a world language for just one year score an average of 38 points higher on the SATs. (Even cooler: Students who took four years of a world language showed scores that were more than a hundred points higher on average.)
2. Do you ever find it hard to do two things at once? The National Institutes of Health discovered that people who speak more than one language are much better at multitasking, which means walking on your hands while chewing gum should be a breeze.
3. According to an MIT study, people who know two or more languages earn an average of $128,000 more in their lifetimes.
4. People who know two languages are nicer. 2012: The year that researchers at the University of Cambridge discovered that people who know two languages are nicer. According to the research, bilingual folks are better able to tolerate differences and find solutions to conflict.
5. Eight hundred thirty-five 11-year-olds were tested on their cognitive ability in Scotland in 1947. Between 2008 and 2010, those same people were retested when they were in their seventies. Of the 835 case studies, 260 knew at least two languages. Those 260 people tested significantly higher in cognitive function than their solely English-speaking peers.