The Rest is Politics is having a bit of a moment.
The odd-but-good pairing of Alastair Campbell — Tony Blair’s former Head of Communications — and Rory Stewart — former Conservative MP and London Mayoral candidate — exchanging views on their weekly current affairs podcast has proved an unexpected hit, with worldwide audience numbers now into six figures and a million downloads per episode.
Always Be Learning
Parlez-vous francais?
As avid fans of the benefits of learning a language here at City, we were delighted to hear last week’s podcast in which Campbell pointed to the importance of mastering influential languages such as Mandarin and Arabic, and also to the value of learning any language for the process alone.
Both podcast hosts speak from experience. While Campbell is fluent in French and German, Stewart speaks eleven languages, including French, Latin, Greek, Dari (a form of Farsi), Nepali, Urdu, Indonesian and Serbo-Croat.
If after listening to their podcast you’re still in any doubt about why you should learn a language, here are five more reasons:
- Learning a language can increase your confidence and mental alertness
A 2019 Italian study, looking at the effects of language learning on adults between 59-79, found that it improves “global cognitive and re-organizes functional connectivity.”
- Learning a language can protect against Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia
Several studies have found that language learning engages parts of the brain’s network that overlap with regions which can be negatively impacted by ageing.
- Learning a language can broaden your horizons
A 2021 UK government report recognised the value of learning a language to protect against ‘insularity and provide an opening to other cultures’. And by being able to talk to more people, you’ll also be able to express yourself in a more diverse range of ways. A win-win!
Chinese Whispers
4. Learning a language can make you more compassionate
A recent study found that bilingual children were ‘better at grasping other perspectives,’ something we could all do with more of in our increasingly polarised world.
- And if nothing else, learning a language is a useful exercise in humility
There’s nothing like learning a language to remind you of your fallibility! But being in a position of uncertainty can actually help you recognise the steps you need to close those knowledge gaps. No bad thing for any learner, or any human being for that matter!
For all City’s short online language courses, visit our languages home page. We cover everything from Arabic to French, German, Korean and Japanese all taught by qualified, native speakers using the recognised framework of languages such as CEFR (for European languages), JLPT (for Japanese), or HSK (for Mandarin).
To learn from our students how they found learning with us, read our blog post here.
And if you’d like to talk through your options, just email our friendly team on shortcourses@city.ac.uk and they’ll be happy to help.
For all our other courses, visit our home page here.
April 25, 2025 at 3:12 pm
This is such a refreshing read and a great reminder of how transformative learning a new language can be—not just intellectually, but emotionally and socially too. I especially appreciated the point about how language learning fosters compassion and broadens our perspective in a world that sometimes feels more divided than ever.
Hearing about Rory Stewart speaking 11 languages is genuinely inspiring—and a bit humbling too! It’s also reassuring to know that the benefits of language learning extend to cognitive health and emotional intelligence.
As someone currently awaiting the JAC result 2025, I’ve been thinking a lot about what skills I want to develop next, and this post has definitely nudged me toward taking up a new language. Whether it’s for career prospects or just personal growth, it seems like a smart and meaningful investment.
Thanks for the encouragement and helpful resources—bookmarking this for when I’m ready to dive in!
May 6, 2025 at 2:39 pm
What an inspiring read! It’s amazing to see how The Rest is Politics sheds light not only on global affairs but also on the personal growth that comes from learning a new language. The benefits mentioned — from boosting cognitive health to increasing empathy — are so relevant, especially in today’s interconnected world. For students and learners everywhere, including those from institutions like BTEUP, this serves as a strong reminder that picking up a foreign language isn’t just an academic choice, but a life-enhancing one.