by nynasma | Dec 10, 2022 | BLOG
The majority of commerce and tourism is conducted by English speakers. But after you master English, which language gives you a corporate competitive advantage? Being multilingual gives you an advantage whether or not travelling is a part of your job—or something you want it to be.
Speaking another language improves your ability to communicate with clients, partners, and coworkers around the world. Reading books and watching movies will help you learn while erasing cultural barriers. There is no quicker method to establish trust and camaraderie when business is all about connections than via language. The most useful languages for students with a business mindset are listed below.
Spanish (400 million+ speakers)
Nearly 30% of Americans are Hispanic, and Mexico is one of the US’s biggest trading partners. Spanish is a commonly spoken alternative or official language in more than 40 nations worldwide. Learning Spanish can advance your career internationally for all of the aforementioned reasons.
Spanish has been ranked among the most requested languages in US job postings. After English, it is by far the most valuable language to speak in America. According to experts, its significance will only increase as a result of the growing number of native Spanish speakers employed by American businesses.
Mandarin (1 billion+ speakers)
China is the second-largest economy in the world, and it is the most widely spoken language in the world. The desire to study the language of the future motivates a lot of people to learn Chinese. Mandarin Chinese will increasingly be used in business dealings as China becomes one of the world’s top economic powers.
The plus side of Mandarin being one of the hardest languages for English speakers to learn? Once you understand it, it’s quite astounding. For international hiring managers and potential clients, learning Mandarin will make you stand out.
Russian (200 million+ speakers)
The UN recognises Russian as one of its official languages. Russia is a political and economic powerhouse that has produced a sizable part of the world’s billionaires in recent years. For both Eastern and Western nations, Russia routinely ranks as one of the most significant international trading partners. It also ranks well among the world’s oil and natural gas producers.
In contrast to other European nations, English is not widely spoken or understood in parts of Russia and the former Soviet Union. It may be essential to understand Russian in order to travel and speak effectively if you intend to conduct business with these nations.
Arabic (420 million+ speakers)
Arabic is the fifth most spoken language in the world. Arabic is the official language of wealthy nations like Dubai. Over the past few decades, there has been an increase in demand for Arabic speakers among governments, nonprofit organisations, and for-profit businesses. Arabic language proficiency is essential for those working in the building and real estate sectors in the Middle East and North Africa. Additionally, a significant chunk of the European and American markets are now driven by investments from the Arab world.
Arabic is a very difficult language for native English speakers to master, much like Mandarin. But what it really means is that once you can hold a conversation, you’ll be different from most other English-speaking natives.
French (275 million+ speakers)
More than 29 nations have French as their primary language. It is one of the UN’s official languages and the second most spoken language in the European Union. Although it is no longer the world’s primary language, many nations that speak French still favour conducting business only with firms who share their language.
Ready to hone your business language skills in Arabic? Have a look at our Coorporate Courses in Levantine Arabic now!
by nynasma | Dec 6, 2022 | BLOG
The chance to work overseas is a dream come true for many people. One approach to deeply comprehend a location is to have career experience there. An overseas employment can, at best, dramatically and wondrously alter the path of your life. It is extremely isolating at worst.
Here are some useful queries you can pose to your intended workplace before you start packing your bags in order to promote the former and prevent the latter.
What is the scope of work?
Most likely, you’re not familiar with the labour laws of another nation. You may be more susceptible to traps, dishonest parties, and unpleasant surprises as a result of your naivete. Your duties, working hours, sick leave and vacation policies, as well as any other peculiarities of the position, should all be fully disclosed to you.
What is the payment structure in this work?
Of course, you’ll want to know how much money you’re making, but the inquiries might not end there. How often do you get paid? Which taxes are you in charge of? Before you may get paid for the first time, will you need a local bank account? Will you also have to submit tax returns in your home nation? It’s better if you enter your employment with some grasp of the financial logistics because setting yourself up for remuneration can take some time.
What is the living situation for my work?
It’s crucial to comprehend the rental and housing ecology, whether or not your employment offers housing. Some nations have stringent tenancy restrictions, such as limitations on the number of roommates you can have. In some areas, paying a hefty broker fee in exchange for assistance finding housing is standard practise. Make every effort to learn about housing in your destination country because being without a place to live is one of the most unpleasant situations you may go through.
What are the social customs?
If you work abroad, there’s a good likelihood that you’ll frequently interact with people who follow different social norms. Even if learning a language might change the way you view the world, it cannot always assure you that you will instantly comprehend cultural norms. For instance, if you attend a business dinner in South Korea, you should anticipate that the host will place the order for the group and that you won’t be able to begin eating until the host gives the all-clear. A back-and-forth dispute over who should pay the bill is also to be anticipated, although the host will usually win out in the end. Whether you’ll be working with students, tourists, or business professionals, make sure you enquire about and comprehend any customs they may have.
What is healthcare like?
Good luck to the foreign immigrant who has to learn how to navigate the complex American healthcare system. In a similar vein, an American travelling abroad might discover that they must sign up for a universal healthcare programme. You may need to make decisions if there is a mix of private and state insurance. Asking your hiring manager about how typically overseas employees handle medical issues will provide you with useful information.
Your queries have all been addressed, therefore the only thing left to do is practise your language abilities. Why not check out our online group lessons, which give you classroom advantages without requiring you to leave your house?
by nynasma | Nov 15, 2022 | BLOG
The concept of “mindfulness” is one trend that has recently appeared everywhere. It is a broad concept with many definitions, but this one is great: “Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens.”
The practice of mindfulness at home, at work, or with your kids is a topic that is frequently discussed. However, mindfulness may be practiced everywhere, even when traveling. Traveling more mindfully has advantages for everyone, not just you. The people around you gain from it.
Use these eight strategies to help you practice mindfulness while traveling to your ideal destination if you’re arranging a trip.
Slow Down
Have you ever taken a trip and then realized you needed a holiday from your vacation? Despite your best efforts, it’s difficult to unwind when traveling because there are so many things to see and do. In an effort to avoid any potential FOMO, you are nonstop the entire journey. And even though you might see and engage in a lot of things, are you really experiencing them?
It’s acceptable to take your time and spend the morning exploring aimlessly. Allow yourself the opportunity to enjoy your time off. Even if you might visit a few less sights, you’ll focus on the ones that really important and take pleasure in them.
Put Your Phone Down
This is a difficult one in the modern world. Your phone is really useful when traveling and does everything. You use it for everything, including finding restaurants, obtaining great pictures for Instagram, and directions. But make an effort to store it for a while. Take a few pictures while you’re traveling, and then make an effort to put your phone in your bag. Take full advantage of the sights and experiences that travel has to offer. After all, people have historically accomplished all of this without smartphones.
Use All Your Senses
Although sight is only one of your five senses, traveling is undoubtedly a visual experience. What kind of experience would you have if you applied them all?
Try it. Close your eyes and listen to the music emanating from the neighborhood café. Enjoy the flavors of your surroundings while tasting the many spices in your dinner at a nearby restaurant. As you trek across the mountains, feel the rocks. Spend some time reflecting on your day in a journal when you’re sitting down. When you make a conscious effort to employ more than just your sense of sight, your travels will have greater meaning.
Connect With Locals
The most life-changing encounters occur when you get to know people who have spent their entire lives in the place you’re experiencing for the first time. Make sure you can communicate by using a few words in the language of your destination. Say hi to the woman selling you souvenirs, thank the server who gives you dinner, and smile at the cab driver. You might be surprised by how these basic techniques for interacting can result in more in-depth discussions and a better grasp of the people and country you are visiting.
Start Being Mindful Before You Leave
Have you got any travel plans? So begin practicing mindfulness right away, before you even take off. Make practicing mindfulness a regular habit. What do you see when you examine the aforementioned tips? Now is the time to practice them all. They are all healthy routines for your daily life, and if you start practicing mindfulness right away, it will fit into your schedule seamlessly, no matter where you are.
Check out Nasma Of NY’s courses if you’re arranging a trip to your ideal location and would like to be able to communicate with the locals in order to better understand the culture. We provide conversation classes in a variety of languages to make you a more thoughtful traveler.
by nynasma | Oct 29, 2022 | BLOG
A foreign language is immediately placed in perspective by music. Speaking and studying become much more enjoyable. In addition, music can also help you become more culturally fluent. Here is how to apply it.
Start with Children’s music
Simple children’s music, poems, and nursery rhymes are all quick and easy ways to learn a new language. They are not only catchy, but they frequently have a lot of repetition. Even now, 15 years later, I can still sing the song from my first French lesson, “Mon âne, mon âne / A bien mal à la tête / Madame lui fit fait / Un bonnet pour sa fête,” about a donkey who has a headache that his maker fashioned for him. Although it’s absurd, I always know what such terms signify when I encounter them in French. You may readily find traditional children’s songs and lullabies in any language by conducting a quick Google search.
Look for similar songs in the same genre.
Look for music in a style you enjoy. Find the “best music of all time in (language)” if you enjoy timeless folk music or classic rock. Find the most well-known musicians in your language or the nation where that language is spoken. I’m sure Serge Gainsbourg and Carla Bruni have taught me some useful French terms and expressions. When you start learning about classic musical figures, you not only discover new music but also open a door to another culture.
While listening, look up the lyrics
Normally, you won’t understand every word in a song sung in a foreign language. Songs often employ colloquial language and slang, so you might not understand all the performer is saying. For this reason, it’s beneficial to read the lyrics while you’re listening to the music. After a few repetitions, you’ll be able to comprehend what is being stated.
Translate All The Lyrics You Don’t Understand
Even if you believe you comprehend the song’s main ideas, take the time to look up English translations of the lyrics or enter the song’s lyrics into an online translator. When you can read the entire song in your own language, new levels of understanding can suddenly open up for you. After then, return and give the song another listen while reading the English translation. Can you reasonably follow along?
Sing the Music
The last stage is to sing the song you just learned. Simply practice alone in your room if you’re too shy to perform it in front of others. You’ll discover that after going through this extensive research procedure, you’ll be able to sing along at least in part. Reading, understanding, and speaking are all put to the test when you can sing a song in another language. Even when you sing aloud, you’re telling a tale.
Although Nasma Of NY won’t force you to sing aloud in class (unless you want to! ), we are fairly good at coming up with original and inventive ways to encourage you to learn other languages. Today, have a look at our upcoming classes.
by nynasma | Oct 23, 2022 | BLOG
Not so sure that you can pick up a new language? Select one that is simpler for native English speakers to take the quick cut. Some languages are close to English geographically, historically, or grammatically. Here are a few excellent options.
Spanish
You probably aren’t shocked to learn that Spanish is the most popular language. Given its global dominance and ubiquity in the US, Spanish is a language that is frequently used. Additionally, English speakers find it to be one of the simplest languages to learn. Since Spanish is a Romance language, it has numerous words in common with English, such as “telephone” (teléfono). Also, words are generally pronounced phonetically, so what you see is generally what you get. If you reside in an English-speaking nation, you will undoubtedly hear Spanish spoken by people nearby, on the radio, or on television, providing you with plenty of practise opportunities.
French
Despite not being quite as simple to learn as the other Romance languages on this list, French is a language that tens of millions of people throughout the world speak. The biggest advantage for English speakers, like with other Romance languages, is the enormous vocabulary that they share. Due to the history of wars, conquests, shared lands, and cultural exchange between France and England, this vocabulary of common terms is bigger than average. It’s interesting to see how many French words have gradually made their way into English and vice versa (e.g., they say “le week-end,” we say “à la carte,” etc.).
Italian
Italian continues to be a favourite among users despite not being quite as popular as the other languages on this list. You must already have a variety of Italian cuisine on your list of go-to meals, and chances are you’ve picked up the odd vocabulary word (Marone! Mangia!) from movies and television. Because of how close these two languages are to one another, speakers of Spanish and Italian frequently have conversations with one another in their mother tongues. It won’t be difficult for you to learn Italian quickly if you already have a solid foundation in Spanish.
Hindi
The official language of India’s government is Hindi. It is spoken in the country’s northern and central regions. It is third among the most spoken languages in the world when combined with Urdu. The US, UK, and Canada have all been profoundly influenced by Indian culture and language. Hindi and English currently do share a large number of vocabulary words. Hindi can be one of the most helpful languages for a worldwide traveller to know if you’re prepared for the challenge.
Want to become fluent in Levantine Arabic? Head over to Nasma Of NY now and start your learning journey with us.
by nynasma | Oct 15, 2022 | BLOG
Although learning a language is not simple, there are several advantages to doing so. Learning a new language alters your brain and makes use of all of your memory types. Aside from the social and communication advantages, learning a second tongue will actually increase your intelligence. It takes work to get there, but it’s work for your brain, not the kind you do at the gym.
One of the most diverse methods for brain stimulation is through language learning
When you learn a new language, you have to memorise a whole new vocabulary as well as the intricate grammatical rules needed to put it all together. You gain the ability to control your tongue such that you can literally wrap it around new words that don’t sound anything like those in your native tongue. You must develop your speed and intuition in order to become fluent. If it isn’t evident already, getting here needs a lot of mental effort.
Your brain expands to make room for this new information due to the diversity of information it must be able to process and store, from acquiring words to comprehending novel social interactions. Additionally, mental fitness offers many benefits.
Learning a new language keeps your brain young as you become older.
It turns out that learning a language has long-lasting advantages that have been shown to protect against cognitive ageing and the onset of dementia. The strength of the shield increases with level of second language skill.
Learning it increases your brain’s reserve capacity, which will keep you motivated in your senior years. So even if you didn’t get the chance to study a language as a child, it’s never too late to start benefiting from it now that you’re an adult. Learning a second language will help you safeguard your intellect as you age in addition to broadening your worldview.
Your focus and memory will increase after learning a new language.
The mastery of two languages necessitates the simultaneous juggling of these two communication systems, as it entails learning an altogether new system of communication. A second language was once thought to be an impediment to growth, but gradually studies found that this impediment actually forces the brain to grow more cognitively capable. Your brain learns how to allow different languages to coexist by learning when and where to employ each one.
Studies have demonstrated that bilinguals often perform better at mental exercises and multitasking tasks that call for ignoring distractions, maintaining focus, and remembering information. Basically, learning a new language teaches your brain to focus attention in the right places.
Register for your course at Nasma Of NY! Online, group, and private instructions are available.
