The world we live in is quite complex and constantly changing, and adding new skills to one’s resume is a must for both personal and professional growth. One of the most useful skills today is being bilingual or multilingual. The problem commonly referred to as now Byelingual.
When I was a kid, I used to play those “Would You Rather?” games where I was asked: Would you rather speak all the languages in the world or talk to animals? Back then, I would always choose to talk to animals because it sounded cooler. But now, as an adult, I would always choose to speak all the languages. Being bilingual or multilingual is such a flex that people often forget the basic problem that comes with it: one becomes Byelingual.
“Byelingual” is a condition in which the wrong (native or secondary) language comes out when you need to speak another one, or nothing comes out because your brain gets confused and freezes. For example, sometimes while talking to my nieces, German comes out. Other times, I cannot piece the words together to form a proper sentence.
If you have ever experienced language confusion, switching languages by accident, or forgetting words in your native language, welcome to the Byelingual life.
Pros:
- Knowing multiple languages makes one more confident.
- You become the go-to person for translation-based questions and curiosities.
- You develop a richer vocabulary and a better thesaurus.
- It becomes easier to converse with people, impress them, and make them feel comfortable.
- Your pronunciation and command of different languages improve every time you speak.
- Being bilingual can improve communication skills, memory, and even career opportunities.
- Learning a foreign language opens the door to understanding different cultures, histories, and ways of thinking.
Cons of Being a Byelingual:
- You Listen < Translate < Speak. It is a very strenuous process.
- It can be frustrating to be the go-to person for everyone’s language-related curiosities.
- Sometimes all the languages come out at once.
- There is always confusion about which language to speak and when. Gotta calculate at the speed of light.
- It feels like knowing a few languages is not enough. Gotta learn more. So, more confusion is needed.
- Being multilingual can sometimes make you forget words, mix up grammar, or accidentally use the wrong language.
Languages are the best way to understand a country and its history. Everybody wants to become a linguistic jack of all trades, mostly for career advancement, while others pick up languages as a hobby. Some of the most popular languages to learn are:
- Spanish – because it is spoken in many countries around the world.
- Japanese – because the boom in the anime and cosplay industry has inspired more people to learn the language.
- Korean – because K-pop, K-dramas, and Korean beauty products have enraptured the world.
- Chinese – because it is spoken by the largest number of people in the world.
Whether you want to learn a language for work, travel, culture, or personal growth, being Byelingual has both advantages and disadvantages. Languages are all fun and games until they become work. So, enjoy the beauty, confidence, wisdom and, a little bit of chaos that comes with being a Byelingual.
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