Learning a new language can be an extremely useful tool is forging new business relationships and expanding your operations to international markets. As business becomes more globalized and the internet allows us to connect with people around the world, speaking multiple languages becomes a valuable asset. One entrepreneur used his passion for learning foreign languages to open an online language school to inspire others to learn about new cultures.
Los Angeles-born Nathan Thornton started SmarterKorean
, an online Korean language school where he works as an online Korean language coach & South Korea expert assisting expats to live, travel, and work in South Korea comfortably and with confidence. Driven by his own passion to study in South Korea and attending the IPAG Business School in Paris, France, Thornton is currently fluent in Korean, English, and French, stating that learning the language has been extremely useful in his professional career.“Learning Korean opened up a multitude of doors for me both professionally and personally,” says Thornton in a blog interview with Black Girls Learn Languages, “Korean has helped me stand out in my job applications, work for international companies in both South Korea and Spain, ask for competitive salaries, and allowed me to open my own online business. Being able to speak Korean allowed me to experience living in South Korea on a much deeper level with a different understanding of the culture.”
Thornton goes on to explain how his passion for language learning started at a young age as a way to deal with stresses at home. “I used the Korean language as a way to escape my abusive household and create a better life for myself. Learning Korean as a teenager helped to develop confidence and discover a new culture,” he explains. “I was determined to learn Korean well enough so that I could escape my violent home life, apply for a scholarship and go to university abroad.”
He says he is currently moving toward his fourth language and looking forward to seeing where it takes him. “Now, I have fallen in love with the Russian language and am excited to see where it takes me in the future!”