Despite all the reasons you've very likely heard about the benefits of learning another language - good for your degree, good for your travels, good for your career - some people seem to think that being multilingual isn't all that important anymore.

There are more and more people learning and speaking English these days. In fact, English is, according to some measures, the most widely spoken language in the world. Approximately 1.5 billion people around the world speak English, whether as their native tongue or as a foreign language, and this number is still growing.

But why limit yourself? What about the other 5.5 billion people who don't speak any English at all? With ever-increasing levels of international trade and business, tourism, immigration, and random cross-cultural experiences, chances are you will eventually find yourself face-to-face with someone who doesn't speak English, at least not up to a level you understand. That's why we think the reasons to learn a foreign language or two have never been stronger. You don't need to be a polyglot, but these reasons will convince you to start studying another language now.

• Because you want to travel overseas - Unless your travel plans involve only English-speaking countries, you'll probably want to learn a new language to make things easier for yourself. Even knowing some basic words can help break the ice when you're in a foreign country. It's not the same as being able to have an entire conversation, but most people appreciate the fact that you're trying to speak their language, even if you have to switch back to English right away.
• Because you want to learn about other cultures - Let's face it, language and culture go hand in hand. If you want to learn about Kenyan culture, Indian culture, or Chinese culture, you should probably learn some Swahili, Hindi, or Mandarin, respectively. It's possible to do so otherwise, but there's only so much you can learn from a book or a video. To truly understand a culture, you have to know what the people are talking about.
• Because it's necessary for your work - With globalization in full swing, there's a good chance you'll be working with people whose first language isn't English. Maybe it's a development team in India, or a manufacturing plant in China, or an alternative energy supplier in Germany; being able to communicate in other languages makes you much more valuable to an employer.