When I first enunciated the English alphabet, I never imagined that I would be a student at one of the universities in the United States of America.

I never thought I would write an article for this university’s newspaper, either.

Having the Nepali language as a mother tongue, I would not have been able to achieve this feat had I not known the English language.

That is why I’d like to encourage everyone reading this article to try learning a new language.

Learning any second language has multiple advantages.

English is one of the secondary languages that I know.

As it is the most commonly used language of communication all around the globe, I have obviously benefited from learning it.

If you are excited about new a culture and its practices just like I am, then you should definitely learn a second language.

I have visited my neighboring country, India, twice.

The first time was when I was 12 and didn’t know Hindi, the most commonly spoken language in India. The second time I went, I was 16 and was fluent in Hindi.

In my first visit, I went to the places where my parents took me and procured the information that a guide told us.

However, in my second visit, I could communicate with local people and street vendors in their own language.

Knowing their language, I could initiate a chat, which turned into a talk and, ultimately, into a deep conversation.

In my later visit, I was able to immerse myself in their culture and observe things from their perspective as the subtleties were not lost in the waves of language translation.

From these two visits to India, I learned that to deeply know and embrace a new culture, there is no substitution to learning their language.

The best part about learning a second language is that it’s fun.

You make new friends.

Syllables and letters that look scary and sound funny at first will ultimately change your way of looking at things.

Also, in today’s world where the competition is extremely fierce, knowing multiple languages is sure to keep you ahead of the crowd.

Regardless of any field, world-renowned companies are already franchising their businesses in different parts of the world.

Communication is important in the business world, so knowing a second language is beneficial for a successful career.

It has been almost a month that I have been in Monroe, and I have met international students from other countries whose first language is not English.

Meeting such people fills me with the desire to learn all the languages in the world.

I am planning to learn Spanish by the time I complete my undergraduate degree at ULM.

This is something that I would like to recommend all: Decide to learn any second language today.

It is going to be one of the best decisions in your life.