The world speaks thousands of languages, yet many people see learning even one as pointless. Exploring a new culture begins with understanding its language. I completely disagree that learning a new language is a waste of time, not only does it help people to get broader opportunities, but also helps them to think differently.
To start with, one of the main merits of learning a new language is that it improves connectivity of people around the world. People love to speak with tourists who know their local language, as it is the first sign of respect to one’s culture. This helps both locals and tourists to get along well. In Japan, for example, locals help tourists who know Japanese and even invite them to their homes. Therefore, claiming that learning a language is a waste of time is simply unsupported when it helps people to find new friends internationally.
In addition, another advantage of learning a foreign language is that it opens the door to a new culture; therefore, the person starts to broaden their thinking. When building a new product, founders first look at the audience that uses their product, and want to scale it. The process captures the culture of people, as the product should fit the culture first in order to attract customers. For instance, a founder who knows the other language is able to find the problem that both his or her country and the other country have in common, then create a product for both markets. Therefore, even tiny details could help people, while many people think language is merely a communication tool.
To conclude, there are no major reasons that show learning a language is a waste of time, while it offers many advantages for both career and academic purposes. I think that knowing how to speak in other languages may take time to master, but the merits make it worth the effort.