Is learning Korean a waste of time?

Korean, South Korean-hangugeo; North Korean: chosŏnmal, is the language of the Korean peninsula in northeast Asia. It is believed that the ancestors of the Korean people arrived in the Korean peninsula and in Manchuria around 4,000 BC. They displaced or assimilated the earlier Paleosiberian-speaking settlers. Many small Korean tribal states were established in these locations between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD.

There are many theories about the origin and affiliation of the Korean language. What makes Korean linguistic affiliation very difficult to establish is its long history of contact with Chinese and Japanese. According to the so-called Southern theory, Korean belongs to the Austronesian language family. However, according to the Northern theory, supported by a number of linguists, Korean is a member of the Altaic language family. At the same time, some linguists point to some similarities between Korean and Japanese, suggesting that it might belong in the Japonic group of languages. With the issue of the affiliation of Korean being unresolved, many sources classify it as a language isolate.

There are 48.5 million speakers of Korean in the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and another 23.3 million in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea). In addition, Korean is spoken by some 2.7 million people in Chinese provinces bordering North Korea. Korean speakers are also found in large numbers in Japan and Russia, the U.S., Singapore, Thailand, and many other countries throughout the world. The total number of Korean speakers worldwide is estimated to be around 77.2 million (Ethnologue).

1. A new language introduces a whole new intricate system of grammatical rules, structures, and terminology. As a result, our brain is forced to cope with complexity and with time it starts to sense and absorb new patterns. While our brain is working on an overdrive figuring out the meanings, planning to communicate, it empowers a learner with key learning skills such as cognitive thinking, enhanced problem-solving, improved verbal and spatial abilities, improved memory function (long & short-term), enhanced creative thinking capacity, better memory, enhanced, flexible and creative thinking that benefit a learner both personally and professionally!
2. Multilingual people develop the ability to quickly recollect information and connect with a fact, situation or information they may have been exposed to in the past, such as names, directions, facts, figures and a lot more. The brain is an organ that functions better the more it’s trained and used. 
3. Multi-tasking isn’t something that comes naturally to everyone. A study from Pennsylvania State University proves that multilingual speakers can efficiently multi-think and multi-task! By learning a second language they become proficient at switching from one language system to another.
4. Multilingualism empowers learners with the super ‘observing’ abilities and this enables them to easily spot anything that is out of place or suspicious. This is emphasised in a study from the Spanish University of Pompeu Fabra.
5. Language learning inspires creativity in the student. It not only goes beyond the regular vocabulary, grammar, into learning a new culture, new beliefs, value system and traditions, but also opens up avenues for visual and audio entertainment. And if it’s Korea we are in luck! 

6. Multilingual ability is definitely a competitive edge in today’s world. Advancements in technology and the internet have stimulated companies worldwide to expand their businesses and secure a better share of the global markets ahead of their competition(especially the KPOs and BPOs). Such organizations are looking out for bilingual or multilingual staff to work with their global teams, partners and clients across the world. Thus, a bilingual or multilingual person opens us with better career choices for ourselves! 
7. Having the ability to speak different languages points out some of the most sought after traits in an employee, companies look for! It declares you to be motivated, open to accept new challenges, and efficient to work in a multicultural environment. Ever thought of working in a Korean-speaking country?
8. Being bilingual is no longer a good add-on in CV, but has become a necessity. Acquiring a new language will enable you to stay relevant in the hyper-connected world and remain competitive in the workplace.
9. Learning a new language will help you overcome challenges related to travel, manoeuvre around easily in a new place and also helps you get an experience of a lifetime by being able to break rules of sticking around the tourist places and exploring the unexplored beauty of the respective language speaking country. As an example, learning Portuguese will help you safely explore the Lusophone countries. Your linguistic ability may also help you secure a job as a tour guide in the ever-growing travel, tourism, hospitality, and leisure industry. Mind you Korea is beautiful. Worth exploring all heights and depths!
10. Korean language in your repertoire will make you confident enough to travel to a Korean speaking country to secure a job or strike business deals. 

11. Bilingualism blesses learners with the ability to make quick and informed decisions easier than others. A new language also introduces learners to the nuances and regional expressions that a student of language can judge for appropriateness and hidden meanings. 
12. Learning a new language makes you a better listener. In order to interpret the meaning and judge nuances a learner’s mind remains alert to receive the spoken words correctly and be ready to switch between languages.
13. Learning a new language makes you more conscious of details you may have never observed in your own first-learnt language. It has been globally acknowledged that learning another helps improve learners’ understanding of and insights into their native language.
14. Learning a new language makes one more tolerant and appreciative of things such as others’ actions, opinions, art, literature,  cultures, traditions, beliefs, value system, religion, etcetera. Your learning will help you see through the world from a different perspective and you gain a broader and better knowledge about things you’ve never known before. And if it’s Korean, trust me you are in for an audio-visual treat! 
15. The cognitive skills that are enhanced as a result of learning a new language also result in catapulting the learners understanding and grasp on the other academic areas such as math, comprehension and vocabulary enabling him to score higher and do well in problem-solving tasks
16. Every new language makes your brain sharper and healthy. Studies have shown that people who utilise their brains more through furthering their language tend to have lower rates of dementia and memory problems later in life regardless of education or health levels, gender or occupation. As more research is being done, it is increasingly apparent that learning at least 1 more language can delay or stall the development process of Alzheimer’s and dementia. In the past, studies have shown that people who are bilingual show symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia around 4.5 -5 years later than people who speak just one language. For monolingual adults, the mean age for the first signs of dementia is 71.4. For adults who speak two or more languages, the mean age for those first signs is 75.5.

Language learning helps develop strong cognitive skills, such as better concept formation, mental flexibility, multitasking, listening skills and problem-solving, in addition to improving social interaction and encouraging connection between peers. Thus, acquiring a second language enables us to develop various mental abilities at all ages.

Your linguistic ability may also help you secure a job as a tour guide in the ever-growing travel, tourism, hospitality, and leisure industry.

So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and start learning Korean right from today!

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