Being multi-lingual helps both personally and professionally...

As the world economy moves towards regionalisation and globalisation, it is economically advantageous for those who are actively engaged in business or employment to speak multiple lanaguages.

While some might think that it is better to focus on one or two languages, I beg to differ. Language is the medium by which we communicate with others. When we speak to someone in his own language, it helps to break the ice much faster and build the rapport much more rapidly. Some feel that learning too many languages leads to confusion. It is not true. I have seen people who learn five or six languages and yet they are proficient and fluent in each of them.

Therefore, I personally would encourage children to learn and speak multiple languages and dialects. If TVs can be multi-channel, don't you think we are better than TVs? Take heart. Go ahead and learn more languages. For this region, I think learning English, Chinese, Malay and even Tamil would be a good and great start. It is relatively easier to learn and speak these few languages especially in Singapore and Malaysia because both are multilingual, multiracial, multireligious and multicultural countries.