A language with one of the richest literary histories, Bengali is spoken by over 300 million people across the globe, and yet remains one of the least studied languages. It is not only the 7th most spoken language in the world, but also the language that the Indian national anthem was initially written in! If this wasn’t enough to convince you about why you should learn Bengali, there are plenty more reasons. The ability to read and write Bengali means that you can also read and write Assamese and Meitei (a predominant language in Manipur). The Bengali Arts scene has been around for over 1300 hundred years. Can you imagine the number of books and poetry you could read? Some of the most famous writers, such as Rabindranath Tagore (author of the Indian national anthem, among other works) and the highly respected filmmaker Satyajit Ray have countless of works you could enjoy once you learn Bengali. As you know, many things get lost in translation and sometimes translated works can lose a huge part of their essence. So, to enjoy these masterpieces, learning their native language is the best way! The Bengali population doesn’t just live in India and Bangladesh, but a significant population have settled in UK, USA, Canada, UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Italy. In fact, the US government encounters Bengali speakers so often, there are constant job opportunities as a translator working in an official capacity with them. Most importantly, you will get the chance to understand this beautiful and colourful culture, and the wonderful people that make it as rich as it is!