That's a good question, and it has good answers too! Since I'm currently learning two new languages, I thought that now might be a good time to write about this...
1. Blow Your Mind!
Maybe not quite that big, but learning a new language helps to improve your memory, cognitive abilities, connect things in your mind, and just make you generally smarter. This helps you in writing to make new connections between plots and characters and all that important stuff, remember more words you learn in English that you can use, and subconsciously improves your writing ability.
Learning in general helps with all those things, but especially learning new ways to communicate! Not to mention that English seems a whole lot easier and simpler after trying to learn a new language...
2. More Hands-On Sort Of Thing?
A more directly obvious way that learning a new language can help you write better is it opens up new character options! If you know French, make a character who speaks French! It'll make them much more unique, and some people who want to learn French might pick up your book just for that (Me!!!)
Just be sure that you don't lose your readers in the process... If half the dialogue is in French, either you'll be doing a lot of translating (Boring to some people) or a lot of dialogue that a lot of people won't have a clue what you're saying (Boring to some people).
What a lot of writers do about this is that one character speaks the language, and another doesn't, so there's natural translation but not too much speaking in that language for the sake of nonlanguagespeaking character!
Also, I just had an awesome idea that you can steal if you want, but I might use it at some point... Two people who both speak a different language and English! (To be clear, like someone who speaks French and English and another person who speaks Japanese and English.) I don't know, it doesn't sound quite as cool when I write it down, but okay!
3. Vocabulary!!
This is my favorite thing... Vocabulary! Learning words in another language helps your English language vocabulary! Since English is a derivative from a bunch of other languages, learning those languages teaches you more words, some of which are used in English!
Like bouquet from French, or a ton of words that have roots from Latin or Greek, and - Okay, do I sound like a nerdy geek yet? Because I feel like one!
Anyway, you'll be able to at least guess the meanings of a lot more English words, and therefore use them in your writing. Again, don't make it confusing to your readers or they'll leave, but have fun with it! Mess with your friends! All that stuff!!
So yeah, learning another language helps your writing mostly by just making you smarter. So learn another language. Plus it's fun.
Unlike Biology and Math.
I hope my Biology and Math teachers don't read that... Sorry if you do!! It's not personal!
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