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Why You Should Pick Up Japanese As A Second Language

Last updated on May 26, 2026 in Japaneseexplorer

Technological advancements have greatly improved the accessibility to foreign languages. With software such as Google Translate and language translation devices, it would seem that learning foreign languages is slowly becoming obsolete.

However, research has shown that despite everything, many are still picking up foreign languages, whether for academic purposes or as a mere hobby. The Japanese language, in particular, is a popular foreign language that many have taken up as their second language. Discover the benefits you can revel in when you too, learn the language and enrol in Japanese classes in Singapore.

Dive Into The Japanese Culture

Take a peek into Japanese history, culture and society. Language is one of the many forms of avenues that gives one access to another culture. As society and its culture and tradition evolve with time, so will their mode of communication: mainly the language.

To illustrate, take a look at the precursor of the Japanese writing system. Before Japan founded a writing system they could call their own, they’ve mainly used Chinese characters for official documentation and administration purposes. This gives rise to one of the 3 writing scripts, Kanji. Since the political and business scenes were run by mainly men, the Japanese women took this chance to developed their own writing script and proliferated it via novels. The Tale of Genji is a famous novel not only because of its fantastic narrative, but also because its one of first few novels that were written by a female author who also used Hiragana, the “women’s writing” of Japanese writing scripts.

Thus, just by learning the origins of 2 of the 3 writing scripts can give you plenty of insight into the history of Japan, which will also hint at how the country has developed since then.

A Global Perspective

On that note, you’ll not only embrace Japanese cultures and traditions, but also build an openness to learn about other countries as well. Realising that each country has their quirky nuances will allow you to have better understanding, empathy and tolerance for traditions and practices that may seem foreign to you. You’d attain a global perspective and refrain from applying your own set of ideologies and school of thought on anything that is foreign.

Improve Cognitive Abilities

It’s no surprise that acquiring a language significantly improves one’s brainpower. As with any skills, learning a foreign language requires the brain to accommodate space for new information, and this requires activating several brain regions associated with cognitive skills, language, sensory processing and the like. On top of that, bilingual and multilingual individuals often possess higher grey matter.

These features translate to greater cognition and abilities to learn. For instance, you’d enjoy improved memory retention and problem-solving abilities. Even if there aren’t environments for you to utilise the foreign language on a daily, learning a new language alone can change your neurological structures. Learn Japanese and your brain will thank you.

These are simply some of the benefits you’d be enjoying if you were to learn the Japanese language. Even inventions such as language translation devices cannot give you the same type of advantages as learning the language from bottom up.

So don’t miss this chance to enrol in online Japanese lessons with Japanese Explorer today! With our native Japanese teachers and structured curriculum, you’d be able to attain proficiency and fluency in the language, on top of the excellent benefits above!

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