Also, if the other party knows both languages, they can communicate alone without others knowing. Based on academics, I believe in the opportunities of research. For example, my mother is working on her doctorate in chemical engineering, but works specifically on rockets. However, almost all the searches are in German, so she has to try to find all the German speakers to come and translate the material. It's not possible to simply use Google Translate or another translation program, as these programs are generally excellent for tiny, simple sentences without much precision. If she took apart every sentence or word it would take forever, it would be a major waste of time. One of my pet peeves is wasting time. If a task can be accomplished in a simpler way, then I desire to learn it. I want to spend time learning another language instead of having to hire a translator every step of the way. Obviously you can travel, but it's much easier to travel to innovative and unknown places when you can enjoy more of your experience.