To learn a language is a long way to go. And it is so long a way that sometimes I feel like asking a question. The question is "Is it meaningful to learn another language when I've already got my native one?"

Of course, particular situations can necessitate it. A high school student has to study it because there are tests of English. Or a diplomat would need at least a very advanced level of English in order to perform his or her job. Scientists need at least adequate skills of English to read papers and publish papers.

But my question is this: Apart from such practical reasons, is there any fundamental, personal merit in studying a foreign language? If any, what is it?

I dare say: the more I learn English, the more I feel that the difference between languages (including that between cultures) is somewhat just a superficial difference. For even within a population of a same language, there are different cultures, such as in different families or different jobs. And different generations or fields of job have each different jargon. And there are dialects of a same language. That is, such differences are not seen only among different languages. Therefore, such differences, however conspicuous in a foreign language, are not the essential difference of a foreign language that I am looking for. (Of course this difference, though, can bring many intriguing aspects such as linguistic history, quirks in expression, translation techniques, etc.)

So are differences of nations, races, times. Foreigners are not space aliens. People who lived in different times are not those beyond our understanding. Perhaps this sense or view might be a benefit gained from learning a foreign language. But that only?

Languages are like creatures in an aspect. They have their evolutional history. If so, for languages to evolve, they might have needed there to be variations and interactions among them.

And it is very intriguing to see how a copy of a language works in one's mind. It cooperates as you think something. It is as if it came from somewhere to live in your mind. It might be the idea of so-called memes.

And, then, what can be the point of incorporating another cluster of memes into you by the learning process? How do the native language and the added language interact within you? What is the inner effect of learning a foreign language? I suspect multilingual persons know it, perhaps.