I recently came across an important principle in the Teaching English in the multilingual classroom course that really resonated with me: the idea that learners may need to be proficient in two, three, or even four languages. In the past, I had always thought of languages as something that people learned based on their interests or abilities, or perhaps to boost their business prospects. But the course opened my eyes to the different levels at which languages are categorized, including local, regional, national, and international.

In Malaysia, for example, the recognized languages in schools include Malay, English, Mandarin, and Tamil. But there are also many other unwritten dialects and mother tongue languages spoken in different regions. This diversity of languages highlights the importance of multilingualism in our increasingly interconnected world.

Multilingualism has been shown to have many cognitive benefits, such as improved memory and problem-solving skills. It can also boost career prospects and open up new cultural experiences. I was inspired by the idea of becoming multilingual and started thinking about how I could incorporate more languages into my life.

By promoting multilingualism, we can create a more understanding and inclusive society where everyone feels valued and respected. We can start by celebrating the diversity of languages spoken in our communities and encouraging people to learn new languages. Even learning a few basic phrases in another language can go a long way in showing respect and understanding for other cultures.