It’s common knowledge that having a good command of languages sets you 0 APART as a well-rounded, educated individual. But is it really worth having in our day and age? Admittedly, the original purpose of spending 17 hours mastering another language has lost some of its relevance.

The reason is simple – technological progress. Most modern translation apps support any language 18 , including those that are long dead, such as Latin. The speed and quality of their translation has increased 19 over the past decade, so now your phone is well 20 to help you overcome the dreaded language barrier.

So does that mean that we might as well give up on mastering other languages? Well, not at all. One should keep in mind that knowing and using a language other than your native one has unduspitable benefits benefits. The biggest one keeping your brain age low through 21 to considerable mental exercising that using a non-native language entails. It can also make you more 22 , as mastering a foreign language shows 23 . Finally, it offers valuable 24 into a culture that is different from your own, which are likely to be missed without knowing the language.