Aren’t there lateral benefits to learning something as complex as a new language? The level of mental focus and commitment required must have cognitive rewards and I would think any level of cognitive improvement would be of great value.
In order to learn any language, it requires a certain level of immersion in cultural concepts/perspectives outside of your own. Broadening cultural awareness and gaining new perspectives certainly contributes to an individual’s ability to see the world with increased clarity.
It seems to me that measuring the worth of learning anything in terms of how directly one might make use of it cannot measure its total value.
Indeed. “It’s expensive to learn and it has no obvious immediate practical benefits” applies to lots¹ of skills/knowledge, so it seems silly to me to single any of them out.
Well, cooking is a bad example, but you’ll be able of thinking of better ones.
Aren’t there lateral benefits to learning something as complex as a new language? The level of mental focus and commitment required must have cognitive rewards and I would think any level of cognitive improvement would be of great value.
In order to learn any language, it requires a certain level of immersion in cultural concepts/perspectives outside of your own. Broadening cultural awareness and gaining new perspectives certainly contributes to an individual’s ability to see the world with increased clarity.
It seems to me that measuring the worth of learning anything in terms of how directly one might make use of it cannot measure its total value.
Indeed. “It’s expensive to learn and it has no obvious immediate practical benefits” applies to lots¹ of skills/knowledge, so it seems silly to me to single any of them out.
Well, cooking is a bad example, but you’ll be able of thinking of better ones.