The rest of the world can talk circles around us. Only about one quarter of Americans speak a second language, seriously lagging behind the 50% of European Union citizens who are, at least, bilingual. Also, 300 million Chinese people (22% of the population) speak English--with 20 million more schoolchildren beginning lessons every year. Luckily, with more resources available than ever before, you can customize the language learning experience and add to your mother tongue.

Perfect fluency isn't necessary to reap the benefits of being bilingual or multilingual. My conversational Chinese scored savory meals in Beijing and Shanghai, and my friend's proficient Spanish saved us in Pamplona, when the clutch gave out on our rental car.

Learning another language boosts the brain, increases educational and career opportunities, and benefits society. Research shows that bilingualism:

• helps people cope better with distractions.
• increases creativity and complex problem solving.
• helps delay the onset of dementia.
• enhances intelligence and can even help with standardized tests.
• improves understanding of your native language.
• increases appreciation of other cultures by allowing personal communication.
• leads to profitable collaboration.

In high school, being bilingual can prepare you for college. For example, many English words have their origin in French. Some important philosophical work was written originally in German (e.g. Immanuel Kant) and in French (e.g. René Descartes). In chemistry, my friend's knowledge of German and French helped when she found relevant research conducted by German and French scientists. Learning now also gives you a head start on others who will only begin learning a foreign language in college or didn't pay attention in high school.

Speaking multiple languages also gives you a competitive advantage by opening up job opportunities. Another friend of mine, who works in the travel industry, landed his dream job--to help start Travelocity Latinoamérica--because he's fluent in Spanish and English. Julian Enis, a student featured in the documentary Speaking in Tongues, is contemplating his future as a businessman or an ambassador to China because of his fluent Mandarin.

Even being familiar with one foreign language can help you understand related languages. For example, Kanji is a Japanese system of writing that utilizes and modifies Chinese characters. Likewise, if you know Spanish, you'll probably recognize some similarities in other romance languages like French, Portuguese and Italian, due to their shared Vulgar Latin origin. Simple proficiency or desire to learn can also open doors. A journalist friend of mine received a fellowship in Germany based on her work experience and her desire to learn German. Other multiple-language-friendly careers include:

• translation
• media
• diplomacy
• transportation
• national security
• education
• healthcare
• customer service
• law enforcement

In an increasingly global economy, language skills are also very useful in huge multinational corporations like Google or Nike.

Now that we've examined the why, let's focus on learning strategies.

Check your attitude. If you establish a goal or have a purpose for learning the language, you're more likely to succeed.

Cater studies to your learning style. If you learn best through talking or storytelling, try a conversation group to practice with other learners. If you absorb more by reading, start reading books in that language.

Persist. Study every day, and remember that children don't start saying basic words in their native tongue until they are around 18 months old. Be patient, and don't worry about making mistakes.

Immerse yourself. If you like to travel, living abroad allows use of the language in everyday life and exposure to other cultures.

Tap into local resources. The Internet and local libraries provide endless access. Take classes. Read magazines, newspapers, and websites, download podcasts, watch TV, and listen to the radio in the language you're learning. Or partner with a foreign-language speaker in a language exchange; teach them your language and they'll teach you theirs. Find out more about language exchanges at mylanguageexchange.com and sharedtalk.com.

Take learning a language outside of the box and the classroom. Make it part of your daily life in any way possible. It's a lot easier to learn when you're enjoying it.

Sources: vistawide.com, ed.gov, cal.org, cia.gov, newscientist.com, ethnologue.com, wwaytv3.com, mylanguageexchange.com, wsuu.edu, gallup.com, washingtonpost.com, transitionsabroad.com, census.gov, stanford.edu, iue.edu, purdue.edu, britannica.com, businessweek.com, bath.ac.uk, monster.com, jstor.org, linguanaut.com, prospects.ac.uk, politico.com, computerweekly.com, msnbc.msn.com, sfgate.com, rice.edu, intstudy.com, nidcd.nih.gov, europa.eu, number10.gov.uk