Is essential to being understood. It does you little good to say anything at all if you’re only speaking your own language that the other person can’t interpret.
This is what all parents know. The babbling of a baby can be cute and all, but when real communication with actual intelligible words begins to happen, it’s a game-changer.
This is what all good public communicators know. An audience can only receive what is being expressed if it’s in words that they know, words they are familiar with and mostly use in their daily life.
This is what all good marketers know. Speaking people’s language of values, desires, and aspirations will sell more product more quickly—whether they truly need it or not.
Being multilingual has always been an advantage. All throughout human history. Whether that’s literal (being able to speak other human languages like Spanish or Arabic or Tagalog), or metaphorical (being able to speak to people across cultures or subcultures, across different viewpoints or value systems), communicating beyond your own native tongue will get your message farther. It will get you farther.
Of course, speaking must always begin with listening. Learn to listen to other people’s languages, and eventually you will be able to speak to them in a way they can truly hear you.
