Language is what separates humans from other animals. While other animals do communicate, they lack our ability to speak. This ability has allowed humans to create a wealth of languages throughout the ages. While most are not in use today, in 1996 there were 6,703 languages still in use. A large majority of people around the world only speak one or two languages. There are factors that determine how many languages someone will speak. The main one would be location. For example, if you grew up in Belgium, you would have to know how to speak French, but they also speak Dutch in part of the country, and German in another part of the country. Therefore, there is a good chance that you would be exposed to these three languages at an early age and would learn them. Another example is the Caribbean island of Aruba. The official language that is taught is Dutch. However, they are also taught English, are exposed to Spanish and Portuguese, and have their own bastard language that is composed of the previous four languages. Therefore, the average Arubian speaks four or five languages. Are they any different than you or I? No, not really. They just had the benefit of growing up in a place that was exposed to a multitude of cultures.
A man should always strive to better himself, and part of that means learning a language other than your native one. Fluency is not the priority; basic conversational competence is. When traveling in another country, a man should always try to use the native language as much as possible. Yes most people in other countries speak English, but that is not the point. When someone attempts to speak someone else's language, it is a sign of respect to them, their culture, and their country.
You don't need a lot; a simple hello or an excuse me in a foreign language is enough to cause the native to warm to you very quickly. As an example, I was in Aruba this past summer, and their native language is Papiamento. In the hotel were a few guidebooks with the most common sayings. Things like hello, good bye, thank you, no, yes, good night, and so on. It took less than ten minutes to learn all the words. So for the entire vacation, I would say "danke" instead of thank you, or "bon nochi" instead of good night. The locals were thrilled and instantly smiled and showed me gratitude for acknowledging their culture. This in turn, made me want to use the language more and to eventually learn it some day.
However, if you aren't traveling any time soon, start to learn a foreign language anyways. French or Dutch are both good languages to start with as they are very similar to English, but if you have been wanting to learn Mandarin, choose that instead. You will get out of it what you put in, so choose a language you're enthusiastic about. After learning a second language, subsequent languages will be easier to learn. Choosing languages based on how many people you can communicate with can be a very efficient method. But choosing which language would be most beneficial for you personally would probably be the wisest choice, unless you think you can competently learn more than one language at a time, which I advise against if you're just starting out learning a second language.
Speaking a foreign language isn't just about being able to get where you want to go in a foreign landscape. It's not about being sure that you're ordering the right thing at a restaurant. And it is not about casually having a conversation with a local. Speaking a foreign language is about knowing and learning a culture and a way of life that is different from yours. It will change your perspective of life and allow you to learn things about the country you're visiting that you would not have learned had you not known any of the native language. And in the grand scheme of things, knowledge is the most vital tool in a man's life. So before you travel to a country where they speak a language other than your own native one, take a month or so and get to know the language and the culture; your travels will be that much better because of it, and maybe you'll learn a little about yourself in the process. In the end, knowing who we are is what is most important in life.
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