There are incredible psychological benefits of learning another language. These benefits extend way beyond being able to order a cup of tea abroad.
Longitudinal studies by Harvard University confirm that learning additional languages increases critical thinking skills, creativity and flexibility of the mind in young children.
Pupils who learn a foreign language outscore their non-foreign language learning peers in verbal and mathematics standardized tests, indicating that learning additional language is a cognitive activity, not just a linguistic one.
The brain, like any muscle, functions better with exercise. Learning a language involves memorizing rules and vocabulary, which helps strengthen that mental muscle.
Mandarin
Mandarin is a group of related varieties of Chinese spoken across most of northern and southwestern China. Learning Chinese offers many benefits to personal and professional growth not least gaining a better understanding of one of the richest cultures in the world. Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the world with approximately 1,197,000,000 people speaking Chinese, of which 873,000 million speak Mandarin, therefore 14% of the global population speaking Chinese. As well as China, Mandarin is spoken in countries such as Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei, Philippines and Mongolia so if doing business in these countries it would be beneficial to converse in their language. Latest studies have shown that Mandarin speakers use both sides of their brains! This will certainly keep brains motoring.
French
French is the second most widely learned foreign language after English, and the sixth most widely spoken language in the world. French is also the only language, alongside English, that is taught in every country in the world. Speaking French opens up study opportunities at renowned French universities and business schools, ranked among the top higher education institutions in Europe and the world. French is both a working language and an official language of the United Nations, the European Union, UNESCO, NATO, the International Olympic Committee, the International Red Cross and international courts. The ability to speak French and English is an advantage on the international job market. A knowledge of French opens the doors of French companies in France and other French-speaking parts of the world (Canada, Switzerland, Belgium, and the continent of Africa).