Summary
- Importance of Language Skills for Students and Professionals
- Importance of language skills in communication
- Why language skills are important?
- Language skills levels
Importance of Language Skills for Students and Professionals
Language connects humans. It is the conduit for conveying and understanding emotions. A language is a potent tool that has evolved with time from grunts and screams to the present acronyms. We have gone from “Laughing Out Loud” to LOL. Somehow the latter does not sound that happy.
The first thing we learn as a child is to speak with our body language. We then learn and start using verbal language. However, language is not limited to speaking but also includes reading, writing, gestures, and signs.
The Language Skills for Students and Professionals is important. Without language, we cannot communicate and we might as well not be in a society.
Therefore, great importance is given to teaching language to students to ensure the survival of a society.
Similarly, language skills decide if you get a job or not. Employers fancy multilingual professionals but will settle for someone who has a good command of a single language.
Good language skills to some extent, imply good communication skills. Hence without language skills, a student will not become part of society, let alone a professional.
Importance of Language Skills in Communication
In the present world, 7099 languages are spoken. The majority of these languages are limited to a small populace. However, the importance of language skills is essential. But the lingua franca of the world is English for many reasons.
We speak to someone or the other daily. Besides, all businesses are dependent on effective communication. We buy and sell through communication with customers and vendors.
Hence the Importance of language skills in communication cannot be ignored. Good language skills can get the deal while bad language skills can snuff out careers.
Communication is not limited to speaking, writing, and reading. It is also about understanding and appreciating other cultures and the variety in business methods. Good language skills help in building lasting connections, personal or business.
Communication is effective when all who are involved understand each other clearly. Good language skills ensure the smooth functioning of a business. Besides, it also solves problems and creates opportunities.
However, it is worth noting that language skill is not only limited to communication. Knowing more than one language improves our decision-making abilities.
People knowing a second non-native language tend to make more rational decisions. Also, multi-linguists are better multi-taskers.
Why Language Skills Are Important?
Speaking one or more languages has many benefits. In a country like India, good command of the English language can make a world of difference in one’s job prospects.
It opens up new and better opportunities. Besides, knowing more languages also increases a person’s cognitive abilities. Meanwhile, here are some benefits proving why language skills are important.
1. Improve Decision Making
A person knowing more than two languages usually makes more logical decisions. This has got to do with the creation of more neural networks in the brain to learn, understand and translate in different languages.
While speaking in a non-native language we are naturally compelled to think and use the right word. This process grows on us and hence, we become more systematic while making decisions instead of doing it automatically.
2. Better Perception
By communicating effectively through the good use of language skills, we can explain and understand each other’s perspectives.
Similarly, a person speaking more than one language has a greater ability to see another person’s perspective. This becomes an important skill that comes in handy during negotiations.
3. Lasting Relationships
Language skills introduce us to different cultures, customs, and behaviors. It sensitizes us on how to deal amicably with others.
With the world going global, knowing more languages fills the gaps between borders. This can lead to building stronger, long-lasting business and personal relationships.
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4. Multi-Tasking
If a person learns two languages, then he is likely to switch his thought process between the two languages. Consequently, this becomes a great ‘mental exercise’ for multi-tasking.
The person becomes accustomed to switching between tasks with a lesser effort. This is very useful in the business world where nothing is set in rock.
Multi-taskers will be better able to adjust to sudden changes or handle two responsibilities simultaneously.
Language Skills Levels
Language skills mean the ability to listen, read, write and speak a language. This can be further divided into receptive or productive skills.
Receptive skills are where we read. Listen and understand. Productive skills involve speaking and writing. All in all, both skills are essential for effective communication and in most cases, need to occur simultaneously.
Then again, one should also know what their Language skills levels are? Knowing at what level you’re language skills are will show how effectively you can communicate.
This is important because employers seek talents who preferably are multilingual. So to stand out to employers you’ll have to list your language skill level in your resume.
One cannot simply write the languages they know in their resume but forget to mention their proficiency in them.
Irrespective of knowing one or more languages, it is necessary to mention one’s mastery of them. The language skill level comes in four tiers including, beginner, intermediate, proficient, fluent, and native fluent.
- Beginner: in the beginner level, the individual has only started to learn the language and can use a few words and common phrases. They may also be able to answer some basic questions,
- Intermediate: At the intermediate level of language skills, the person can have casual conversations. This means the person is competent in the use of the language and can ask questions or maintain dialogue with others.
- Proficient: A person proficient in a language can read, write and speak the language accurately. The person can carry on longer conversations confidently and quickly. However, they might need some expressions to be explained or repeated.
- Fluent: Someone fluent in a language can make advanced conversations in the language. They will be able to discuss different technical topics within their field of expertise. They can read, write and speak complex ideas effortlessly.
- Native fluent: A person who has native fluency over a language has probably learnt the language since childhood. It is most likely his mother tongue. This coupled with being bilingual can be an advantage to get employed domestically or abroad.
Conclusion
Language skills unite people and also get you your bread and butter. Being born in society, we naturally will have a mother tongue.
But working and gaining proficiency in a second language will create greater scope for one’s professional career. Hence, language skills are important for students and professionals alike.
