9. New ways of seeing
Learning a new language can literally change the way you see the world. Learning Japanese, for example, which has basic terms for light and dark blue, may help you 29perceive the colour in different ways (Athanasopoulos et al., 2010).
10. Improve your first language
Since learning a second language draws your attention to the abstract rules and structure of language, it can make you better at your first language. As Geoffrey Willans said: “You can never understand one language until you understand at least two.”
Benefits of learning a second language
These ten are all quite apart from the benefits of immersing yourself in another culture, and of seeing your own culture from the perspective of another. All told, you may well get something like ‘a second soul’ from learning another language.