Did you know that out of 7.5 billion people living on the planet, only 1.5 billion actually speak English? This equates to only 20% (or 1/5) of the population. And of this 1.5 billion, English isn't their first language - only 360 million people speak English as their native language. This means that English isn't the most popular language in the world. In fact, Mandarin is the most popular language (an estimated 1.2 billion people are native speakers), with Spanish in second place (an estimated 400 million speakers) with English falling into third place. In the UK, our first spoken language is English, and as a nation, we aren't really all that diverse - statistics recorded from The Telegraph report that 3/4 of adults in the UK are unable to speak a foreign language. In this day and age, isn't this statistic rather shocking?

In countries across Europe, at school, pupils are taught their native language (much like we are taught English), but from a young age, are also taught English. Whereas, here in the UK, our approach is rather different. For a large majority of British pupils, they don't have any foreign language classes until at least their first year of secondary school. By then, they are at least 11 or 12, but is the interest there? The first foreign language taught at schools tend to be French (it's supposedly the easiest to grasp), but once pupils have the option to drop subjects and continue others for their exams, languages are one of the first to go. And, following on from this, an article from the Independent discovered that in June 2017, the number of UK applicants applying to student languages at University sat at 15,140, which was a decrease of 19,620 since 2012, a total drop of 22.8%. These statistics are worrying, because only 15% of the British population can speak French, and only one in twenty can understand basic German.

Perhaps I'm at an advantage. I studied French at school right up to Highers (equivalent to A-Levels) and try to teach myself Spanish using Duolingo because the two languages are classed as sister languages. This means that they are very similar in terms of vocabulary, and Italian and Romanian are also very similar to these two. As they are similar, it means that they are easier to pick up. During the Summer, I tend to go on holidays in Spain. I feel quite rude being in a foreign country and not being able to speak Spanish, yet us holiday makers expect the staff at hotels, restaurants, bars etc to speak English. This is just a British arrogance, and it portrays our lack of culture. This is one pf the reasons why I'm trying to learn Spanish, even if it's just the basics. Sure, most of us can say hola, por favor or gracias, but is this enough? When we go to the bar to order a drink or a restaurant to order a meal, the staff might misunderstand our English and this is when people can begin to get irritated because they feel as though they are being misunderstood. However, if we learnt the native language to the country we are in, we could try and speak their language. Sure, you're maybe not fluent, but what harm is it in trying? At the end of the day, if you make a mistake, you will learn from it. Chances are, you won't be mocked for a mistake, in fact, you'll be admired for your efforts.

People, not just children, but adults, aren't aware of the opportunities and benefits available for being able to speak a second language. Do you know the amount of job possibilities there are for being able to speak French, or Spanish etc? Massive companies such as Apple and Zara often recruit people who can speak other languages as they sometimes send their employees overseas to work and represent them. Maybe if we make the youth aware of the opportunities which are present when you speak a second language, we could encourage more people to pick up a language.

One reason why you should learn a second language is because it has health benefits believe it or not. As you are actively simulating your brain, it will be sharper in terms of thinking. Comparing two people, one who speaks only one language (monolingual) and someone who speaks two or more languages (bilingual), the mean age for the first signs of dementia for monolingual people  is 71.4 years old whereas for bilingual, it's slightly older at 75.5 years old. On top of this, your memory also becomes better. As you learn vocabulary and rules (such as verbs, gender for words etc), it exercises your brain more. You have the ability to memorise the same sentence or phrase in English and your chosen second language. Isn't that incredible? The brain is a miraculous muscle if exercised in the right ways. Leading on, as your memory is sharper, it means you are more likely to remember lists, names, directions etc.

So, why exactly am I pushing for language learning? Because I'm afraid that we are left behind. With numerous countries across Europe being at an advantage as they can speak a second, if not third language, Britain is being left behind. We aren't as advanced, and it'll affect us in years to come. Especially with Brexit, I feel it's possibly more crucial now than ever before. Of course, Brexit negotiations are priority at the moment, but the Government also need to take action in pursing language learning further. With cut backs, less schools are now teaching languages, and this puts children at a disadvantage. Teacher shortages also contribute towards this issue. I know that when I was at school, French was mandatory until third year of secondary, and Spanish was optional after your fifth year. These were the only two languages. German and Latin were once an option, but due to cut backs in the funding and lack of teachers, these languages were no longer taught.

Language learning doesn't require a qualification. There are language classes out there, as well as apps - I highly recommend Duolingo. You don't need to study your language for hours upon hours each day, every 15-20 minutes can prove to be highly effective. Isn't it beautiful when we communicate with each other in the same language, but isn't necessarily your first language, nor someone else? Whilst I was out in Portugal last month, I was speaking with someone from Latvia, who's native language isn't English yet mine is, and I quote from him: "It's wonderful how English can connect all of us. We're all from different countries and cultures, yet we can communicate with each other." It's a quote which is ever so true, and we need to remember ourselves. That is why I'm so keen to keep up with learning my Spanish, and keeping my French fresh in my head. Because if I ever go to a French or Spanish speaking country, I have the ability to speak their native language. And for me, that is simply wonderful.

If you do one thing today, make sure it's to learn your language. I would love for you to leave me a comment in your language, or a second language you know, below in the comments.