Benefits of Bilingual Education: Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Learn Languages

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The world we live in is determined by the growing interdependence of national economies, cultures, and populations. Since globalization tendencies will continue to promote and enhance cross-border flows of investment, people, and information, being bilingual is a skill that will definitely pay off in the 21st century. Participating in a dual-language program not only broadens one’s horizons but can also translate into a plethora of personal and professional opportunities.

So we would like to offer some details on the benefits that bilingual education can provide:

Social

Apart from the obvious advantages of being able to communicate in multiple languages, bilingual education also contributes to students’ social and emotional growth. Individuals in dual-language programs show better self-control, as they are generally more aware of their surroundings. On top of that, compared to their monolingual peers, they also have superior planning and organizing skills.

Students attending dual-language courses become more empathetic and are eager to learn both from others and with others. This leads to deeper collaboration and is fostering a community feeling. So bilinguals are perfect team players, who are willing to share and are able to maintain strong relationships with their mates, family, and later on coworkers.

Cognitive

Studies show that learning another language while still acquiring a full proficiency in your mother tongue can boost brain function. Such activity serves as cognitive training and comes with several great perks:

  • Focused attention. Mental juggling between different languages requires inhibition of all the elements of the currently irrelevant system of communication. That implies that bilinguals have an easier time to concentrate on the most important information and ignore all the other incoming data. Thus, they have the dexterity to switch from one task to another without being distracted. This superpower enables them to work on multiple projects at the same time.
  • Enhanced intellectual functioning. Compared to their monolingual peers, bilingual students show better results at assignments that require reasoning, analysis, comprehension of complex ideas and abstract concepts, creative approach to problem-solving, and critical thinking.
  • Better information processing. People who speak more than one language usually have a keen eye on details. That helps them to quickly assess the linguistic environment they enter and thus choose the most appropriate means of expressing their thoughts.
  • Sharper memory. Since bilingual speakers have to transfer everything they learn in one language to another to align their experience, the efficiency of their brain is constantly improving. As they need to store large quantities of varied information, they can stretch and increase the capacity of their memory.

Academic

Students who participate in bilingual education programs have to learn content material with the added challenge of improving their dual language skills at the same time. Though it may seem like a daunting task, it turns out that in the long run, multilingual speakers outperform their classmates both academically and linguistically. In particular, children who are placed in the late-exit transitional bilingual program at a young age not only manage to excel in mathematics, science, and English, but by the sixth grade, they also tend to surpass their monolingual colleagues in those areas.

The academic advantages of dual-language programs are not limited to kids only. College students can also reap the benefits of bilingual education. People who are exposed to more than one language develop a greater vocabulary size, both in their native tongue and the target language. That enriches their speech and enables them to articulate their thoughts more precisely, which is a nice skill to have when working on research papers.

While you are still on your way toward full language proficiency, there could be occasions when you might seek some advice. For example, if you feel like your writing needs extra proofreading, or you are not sure about your word choice, contact a professional writer who will guide you through the pitfalls of the English language and help you nail the rewrite my essay task.

Cultural

The process of learning a foreign language goes far beyond acquiring new vocabulary and dealing with unfamiliar grammatical constructions. It is always an immersion into a new culture, one way or another. Students not only absorb the linguistic peculiarities but also get to explore that nation’s history, literature, customs, social norms, and even its cuisine. Such a window into a different culture broadens their knowledge of the world and helps to break down the barriers that separate people. From this perspective, bilingual education provides an additional benefit of teaching students about global citizenship.

Multilinguals better understand people of other countries and become more open-minded and curious about the things they have to share. That leads to embracing cultural diversity and helps to abate xenophobia, hatred, racism, and stereotypes.

Economic

Speaking at least two languages provides more opportunities to participate in the global community. It is not limited to the cultural exchange or personal bonds only but also yields long-term career benefits. In every industry, businesses require professionals who can speak multiple languages to cater to the needs of international customers.

Students who are exposed to two or more languages throughout high school and college can have a huge advantage over their monolingual peers when they graduate and enter the job market. Plus, in fields like sales, marketing, or technical support, knowledge of an extra language can add between 10% and 15% to an employee’s wage.

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