Communication is one of the fundamental pillars of life. Communication allows people to socialise and understand each other. Indeed, communication has become a global phenomenon where the most important element is language. Today, learning a foreign language is no longer a choice; it is practically necessary. Furthermore, according to what many scientists say, language learning improves our ability to concentrate and our memory, and delays the possible onset of Alzheimer’s by at least five years. Furthermore, it increases our reaction speed when making decisions and enhances our mental agility.
Apart from our native language, It’s important to learn another, such as English, which is considered the global language. English allows us to communicate in our work life with colleagues from other countries. By learning new languages, we open up our mind to a world full of possibilities and new ideas. You not only learn to communicate or improve your communication skills with people from other parts of the world, but you also learn more about their culture as well as their way of seeing life and living it.
A few tips from some of Medline’s employees
Most employees at Medline speak another language. Discover how Medline employees mastered a second language!
Monica, Senior Design & Creative Specialist:
‘One of the reasons why I love learning new languages is because it is literally opening so many doors into the world for you. It is only through being able to speak other languages that I was able to make wonderful memories abroad, embrace local cultures and connect with people all over the world. All of this helped me grow so much personally but also professionally.
Learning a language is always difficult. Grammar, pronunciation and many new vocabulary words can easily discourage you. I would suggest different learning approaches: TV shows with subtitles, an online class/language tandem, listening to a podcast or just writing your grocery list in the new language. Also, my advice is to go easy on yourself: enjoy the ride and take the mistakes in stride. Every mistake is part of the journey; every stuttered conversation with broken words another step forward’.
Nacer, French Communications Intern:
‘My mother tongue is French, and I learned Arabic when I was little. Then my father moved to Germany for work and I learned German there. Lastly, about 10 years old, I really liked Miley Cyrus (yeah …), and I really wanted to understand what she was saying in her lyrics and interviews. This is how I started learning English on my own. Later, I worked at perfecting my knowledge at school and in higher education. Out of all the languages, Arabic was the hardest to learn. But in the end, I feel really blessed for being able to speak and understand more than one language. I think the more we evolve, the more we are expected to be multilingual’.
Jane, Web Design & eCommerce Manager:
´I would say it is very common for Dutch people to learn another language, as really no one speaks Dutch abroad. We learn English very early, and we also use subtitles, which makes it easier for us to relate to the English language. I personally love foreign languages and happened to be good at learning them too. My high school education was focused on French, English and German. And when I went to university, I choose an English study programme and opted for Spanish as my second language.
I think it is good to be able to understand some basics and make an effort to try to be able to interact with people in their local language. It really works best to just speak, preferably to a native speaker. Just try to have a conversation and let them help you with the words! I learnt so much when I lived in Spain (almost no one spoke English, so I had to speak Spanish), but you also easily forget a language when you don’t use it daily. Reading books also helps, especially children’s books. But I think grammar is always a challenge, especially the past tense in Spanish or all those article options you have in German’.
At Medline, we have more than 40 different nationalities in our workforce, and many different languages spoken. Tell us what language you would like to learn! Or do you have any advice on how to learn a new language?
Paula Dalmau
Communications Coordinator Sales and Marketing, Medline Iberia
Paula is a passionate Spanish writer based in Madrid. Her interests are well-being, emotional intelligence and business topics. Her educational background is in journalism, advertising, public relations and digital marketing. Learn more on LinkedIn.
23 April 2021
