Adventures & Moments

In my previous post about my life in Sweden after two years, I mentioned how learning a new language wasn’t exactly difficult, but for me, it was definitely boring 😕. In Sweden, the official language is Swedish, and if you’re planning to live or work here, speaking Swedish fluently is basically a must.

In my post on 5 tips on moving to Sweden from Nigeria, I shared some common food and vegetable names in Swedish and how to start picking up the language. But today, I want to share 5 benefits of learning a new language, and no, this isn’t just about Swedish. These tips are useful for anyone moving to a new country where the language feels like a tongue-twister.

Let’s just say, maybe if I had seen these benefits clearly from the start, I’d have been a bit more motivated on those “I’m tired, I want to quit” days 😓.  That being said, let's get right into it, I hope you can find one or two things to learn from it.

If you’re learning in a group setting, you’ll most likely make new friends, and if you’re lucky, friends from all over the world! When I started learning Swedish, I met people from countries like India, Ghana, Mexico, Eritrea, Cameroon, the U.S., and more. Apart from learning Swedish together, we also shared cultural stories, food tips, and plenty of laughs. Learning a new language literally opened the door to friendships I wouldn’t have had otherwise.

If your CV says you’re fluent in a second language, it immediately gives you an edge. In Sweden, most job postings already require fluency in Swedish, but I’ve also seen jobs that ask for both Swedish and English fluency. Being bilingual doesn’t just look good; it shows adaptability. Even if your Swedish isn’t perfect, showing the willingness to learn and communicate in another language can give you a major boost in the job market.

Let’s talk brain stuff. Apparently, learning a second language improves your memory and boosts your attention span. According to research by Julia Morales (Granada University), bilingual brains are more effective at storing and retrieving information. And I totally felt that while learning Swedish. Switching between English and Swedish, sometimes mid-conversation? 😵‍💫 Your brain has to work overtime! I mean, I’d hear Swedish, reply in English, then realise halfway I was mixing both. But somehow, all that mental gymnastics helped me process information faster and improved my multitasking. So yes, learning Swedish made me smarter (and I said what I said 😝). If I don’t hype myself, who will? 😋

When learning a new language, your brain doesn’t just translate words; it starts picking up on tone, accent, speed, and context. And that means your listening skills improve without you even realising it. For me, I had to start listening more attentively to people speaking Swedish in different accents and speeds, and not everyone speaks “textbook Swedish.” I still don’t know how the brain does it, but I promise you, my ears are way sharper now than they used to be 😆