Why Everyone Should Learn a Second Language | J Lou | TEDxHKU

For her 4th TEDx talk, J Lou will venture into the science behind language and the brain, and the study that everyone should learn a second language.

[JLou]

thank you for having me! i hope this inspires people to pick up a new language 😊

[marcioluna]

I'm Brazilian and I have been studying english about ten months. I know it's not easy to learn english but I never give up! I'll speak english one day. This is my goal!

[afghanistan.]

It is very necessary for everybody to learn a second language. By learning a second language, we can make our word wider, and we can communicate with different nations around the globe. Moreover, a second language can help us to find a good job easily and we can level up our knowledge.

[买了明天d]

This video is talking more about the experience of the girl instead of why we should learn a second language .

[kakakaka]

I'm Japanese, and have been learning English since I was little. And I was dispatched to Indonesia as an expat. And it made me realize that understanding different culture deepens and enriches your life for sure.

[gabrielmaximianobielkael]

This thing about bilinguals having greater empathy is totally true. it's amazing how knowing a second language changed me as a person. it has a great influence on your personality, it changes your identity on a cultural level.

[HKr]

It's mentioned in the video that learning a new language improves one's brain. It's not only confined to learning a new language but it has to do with learning something new be it a language or a musical instrument or any other qualifications that you might think of.

[Ishimaru_Kaito]

Learning Japanese has been truly transformative. In the US, we primarily say "I did this.. I did that". Japanese speak primarily of "we". In changing my thinking to align with more of the 'we' thinking, it strengthens my friendships, goals and gives me purpose and connection with those around me and the rest of the world.

[LaineMiranda-kw]

Learn a new language open new doors for the world and knowledge. The key is to do 1% every day.

[Pantita.f]

This TEDx talk by J Lou is truly inspiring! Her personal experiences as a third culture kid add a unique and relatable perspective to the importance of learning a second language. The way she connects language-learning to brain science is fascinating and provides a compelling argument for everyone to pick up another language.

[joyyyy]

She is an inspiration! As a new language learner, I was glad to listen to her personal experiences. Although English isn't my native language, I'll keep learning until I die.

[AznRuutz]

Hi Jlou, Dan, Mom, Dad .... I've been following your youtube channel ever since you started and enjoy it very much just because we both speak cantonese fluently, but we both look so different. When I do my yearly visit to HK ( birthplace of my wife) nothing brings more joy to me than when a wattress or salesperson compliments me on my Cantonese skills. ( thank you to my wife ). I'm 100% chinese, but I'm 3rd generation living i the United states. My mother spoke Chinese to me, but I always answered back in English. We were both binlinqual. Till I met my wife, she taught me the courage and skill to speak cantonese in public and although Its not perfect, The contrast of my rather Mixed race look person who speaks pretty good Cantonese is utterly amazing, empowering and something to be proud of. We once took a train to Florence from Paris, France, and we befriended a girl who asked us "Why do you only speak one Language" ... as it turns out, and I've discovered, most europeans speak several languages and it is quite common. If I ever see that girl again, I can answer her with .... "I can speak 2 languages". !! I'm Richard and enjoyed your TED talk

[anhpam]

I am a native English speaker who has been learning languages all my life, including now in my 60's. I think it is a wonderful skill and activity. I cannot imagine being limited to knowing just one language and I can chat with many people. Although I am weak in math and science (non existent), somehow, languages come fairly easily to me. As for identity, my ethnicity is clear: both parents have same background, religion etc. I moved to another another country after high school and had to learn a new language and culture, which are vastly different to the place I was raised in. I no longer have much connection to it, so in a way I say I have a mixed cultural identity. Thank you, J. Lou.

[YeisonHIncapie]

I like this kind of videos. I'm from Colombia. I usually watch a lot of Ted's videos during the day. These videos are very useful for me and help me to improve my listening. Someday I want be fluent in English.

[Аружан-яц]

Hello everyone! I’m from Kazakhstan 🇰🇿, and I’m learning English since I was 10-11 years old. My goal is learn English, sometimes I think that I’m not good in English but I want to achieve the goal, success etc. Good luck everybody we will make it!😊

[-nfvt]

Foreign languages are great especially for career paths. I definitely recommend Spanish and French. Immersive translate will still help you revise on them and get better. It is an app

[SunNatchanon]

This video is incredibly insightful. The way the topic was explained made it easy to understand even for beginners. I especially loved the examples given—they made the concept much clearer. The visuals and audio quality were also top-notch, which really enhanced the learning experience.

[shermanwu]

According to your classification, I am a 3.5 to 4 cultures person. I am basically a Hongkonger, a totally Chinese born in HK, able to read and write English and Chinese, speaking English, Mandarin and Cantonese. But following the trend of most HK new generation, I learnt Japanese as well. After studying Japanese, I can now appreciate and enjoy Japanese cultures, such as cuisines, music, fashion, drama and J Pop, etc. When I studied in Canada 30 years ago, I also found papers of education research in USA showing significant differences of cognitive skills for those knowing more than one language. People exposed to 3 languages / cultures would even be better. Actually, strongly backed by statistical data gathered, the research found these people are privileged and could show higher achievements in their lives. In fact, you can observe this fact by just verifying who are the CEOs leading the global enterprises in California where many residents are new immigrants. Instead of being rejected by societies, by breaking the cultural barriers and social norms, these privileged kids are actually leading the world, challenging the old traditions and bringing mankind towards the future.

[adelheidjaeger]

Great video! It makes me think of my children: I'm from Austria and my partner is from Belgium and we live in Spain. Spain is their home and if you ask them, the children would say they're Spanish. They do get to visit our countries often but they feel very Spanish. It just makes it hard sometimes when I explain that in Austria or Belgium some things are done differently but they usually understand that. Both are still young so we'll see how they feel when they grow older. Love from Spain🌻

[siasea_lang]

I loved this video. As a Ukrainian, who was born in the east and had a lot of relations to the Russian culture, I had difficulties identifiying myself from the childhood. It got further since I started living in different countries, such as Germany, Thailand and Croatia. I absorbed a lot of cultures and I speak different languages, and living in Croatia now, I find it difficult to feel that I belong anywhere …but at the same time I am so grateful for my experiences and I truly believe that it made me much more compassionate and understanding towards different people. I hope we can all appreciate how different we are, cause it’s really beautiful ❤