Also, if the other party knows both languages, they can communicate on their own without others knowing. Based on academics, I believe in the opportunities of research. For example, my mother is working on her PhD in chemical engineering, but specifically works with rockets. However, almost all the research is in German, so he has to try to find all native German speakers to come and translate the material. You can't simply use Google Translate or another translation program because these programs are typically good for tiny, simple sentences without much precision. If he took apart every sentence or every word, it would take forever, it would be a huge waste of time. One of the things that bothers me the most is wasting time. If some task can be done easier, then I want to learn it. I want to spend a lot of time learning another language instead of having to call a translator every step of the way. Of course you can travel, but it's much easier to travel to innovative and unknown places when you can get more experience