3 Reasons to Learn a New Language Through a Second Language

Learning a new language is a very challenging endeavor. It is not just translating your mother language to the new one, because no languages match perfectly.

You have to build a completely new way of thinking and new brain in the new language. When you reach fluency, it is like you unlock a new version of yourself that didn’t exist before.

And this new version has all the skills and capabilities similar to the original one. Including the capability to learn new languages. And I find that immensely fascinating.

English is not my first language, Albanian is. And now I’m learning Arabic mostly through English.

Here are three reasons you should try learning a new language through a second language too.

Increase Brain Neuroplasticity

Evidence suggests that by utilizing several languages to learn a new language, changes in brain anatomy are induced. These changes are what is called brain neuroplasticity. And if you have been on the Internet in the last few years, I’m sure you have heard how important this is.

Brain neuroplasticity helps with mental health, learning, habit shaping, lowering the risk for brain-related illnesses, feeling happy, and many more life improvements.

From my experience, I can almost “feel” the new pathways my neurons are creating as I am learning Arabic through English. The gymnastics exercises my brain is going through during this experience are worthy of Olympic medals. Here you have one dear brain, you earned it. 🥇

Improve Your Second Language

You might think that your second language is at a good level, but most of the time we stick only to the domains that are necessary for us to use. Which gives us false confidence in the language.

I have been fluent in English since I was 21, and I have studied and worked exclusively in this language for the past 9 years. I have never had any issues understanding or communicating in it, therefore I believed I had mastered the language.

By using it now to learn a third language, I’m understanding that mastery has many levels, and you are never done with improving a language. And it is beautiful how English is helping me improve my Arabic, and Arabic is helping me improve my English even more.

Have Access to More Resources

If you are using two languages to learn a third one, this means you have double the resources available to you. And if your mother language is a smaller one compared to English, then you will have access to multiple times more resources.

Especially when it comes to platforms, apps, and tools to use, English dominates the Internet, and you will benefit from all the investments that have gone into building these resources.

In my own journey, it would have been even more difficult to stick only to my language as I don’t live in my country anymore, which has made me lose access to many of the resources like books or courses that I could have there.

Meanwhile, I’m in an English-speaking country with an abundance of opportunities to learn Arabic. My neuroplastic brain and I are very grateful to God for that.

This article is part of a series where I’m documenting the journey of becoming fluent in Arabic in 365 days.

Days left: 343 Arabic Level: A2/Elementary Read the other parts of the series below.