INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A report from the U.S. Census Bureau reveals that 21.7% of the population speaks a language other than English at home.

In other words, more than 1 in 5 adults in the United States communicates in a non-English tongue.

The statistic underscores the significance of learning a second language. WISH-TV contributor Gloria Jimenez joined News 8 for a discussion, shedding light on the matter. Jimenez is multilingual, speaking Spanish, English and French.

The conversation on News 8 centered around the reasons it is crucial to learn a second language.

Jimenez said the earlier a person starts the better.

Jimenez also stressed the importance of encouraging younger generations to pick up a second language sooner rather than later.