The Benefits Of Learning A Foreign Language

With successive bilingualism a child has the advantage of their first language as a base. They use this to both analyze and develop the second.  For example, the child knows that language is organized in a particular order.  The more mature a child is they also have a better vocabulary base, acoustic perception, and comprehension. Therefore they would make fewer errors in a second language.

“Learning a foreign language draws your focus to the mechanics of language: grammar, conjugations, and sentence structure”(Merritt). Before I began learning Spanish, I did not even know that conjugation was a thing, but in speaking a different language, I have had the opportunity to push myself to learn about conjugation in Spanish as well as recognize it in English. “The positive effects of learning to speak a second language can train the brain to analyze and process different linguistic structures” (9 Big Advantages). In the same way a foreign language affects one’s first language, it also creates skills that are highly beneficial to those who choose to use their brains. Benefits include: improved memory, increased attention span, improved multitasking abilities, more logical and rational thought, increased awareness of surroundings, and more. “Speaking a foreign language improves the functionality of your brain by challenging it to recognise, negotiate meaning, and communicate in different language systems” (9 Big Advantages). Consequently, these cognitive benefits translate into different aspects of one’s life such as affecting their professional life.

Obviously, knowledge of a foreign language opens up doors to opportunities unimaginable with just one language. For example, a student who’s fluent in both English and Spanish can broaden her job search to South America, Spain, and countless other geographical region where Spanish is spoken. Even if she chooses to stay within America, she will have access to the rich culture and warmth of the people of Latin American descent, which may not have happened had she chose not to keep an open eye to the hispanic community by focusing on English only. The same story applies to a student who acquires proficiency in Chinese language. Because language is a key to getting immersed in another culture, bilingual education will naturally lead students to explore and learn from a foreign culture, enhancing their understanding of the world and diverse

Being multilingual gives you a greater appreciation for other countries and their cultures, as well as making it easier to learn from others who have different experiences from living in different countries since some things get lost in translation. Some people argue that having one language will bring people however, this is not the case. Not everyone has the resources to learn English so by being able to speak multiple languages makes it is easier to connect. Additionally, studies have shown that children who grow up bilingual have improved cognitive skills. By being able to manage two languages at the same time helps improve the brains over function with paying attention, thinking at a higher level, multitasking, and motor

“One of the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time”, Federico Fellini once stated that “A different language is a different vision of life” and I, in my turn tend to say that he was perfectly right. A person who speaks more than one language can experience multiple personalities, visions and reflections consisting which language is he speaking. High School students should comprehend the real benefit of speaking a foreign language. Being a multilingual myself and speaking fluently four languages and studying another two, I consider that I am qualified enough to persuade that my argument is strong, plausible and not ultimately-right. In the following paragraphs I am going to address the following three reasons why should other High School students learn at least one foreign language? Firstly, learning a new language enhances performances in the academic domain and makes you smarter. Secondly, knowing a new language is a high estimated and a very valuable characteristic in your professional CV. Thirdly, international travel is more pleasant through knowing a foreign language.

“Cognitive functions can be defined as cerebral activities that lead to knowledge, encompass reasoning, memory, attention, and language that leads directly to the attainment of information and, thus, knowledge” (What are cognitive functions). Many students at Doulos are unaware of the benefits of knowing two languages. Ironically students also don’t know that their own brain and its skills are improving because of their second language. Doulos teaches classes throughout the whole day in both English and Spanish. Students are regularly changing between languages and their brain is always active with both languages. “This constant practice strengthens the control mechanisms and changes the associated brain regions” (Marian, Viorica, and Anthony Shook). People who are bilingual are capable of switching between tasks more efficiently. “For example, when bilinguals have to switch from categorizing objects by color (red or green) to categorizing them by shape, they do so more rapidly than monolingual people, reflecting better cognitive control when changing strategies on the fly” (Marian, Viorica, and Anthony Shook). Students’ cognitive and sensory process skills are more developed due to being bilingual (Marian, Viorica, and Anthony Shook). These improvements allow students to better process and understand information in different environments, thus leading to better

We may see teaching our children different languages as a means for them to communicate with our extender family and pass on our cultural heritage or as extender knowledge for the child. In addition to the aforementioned reasons to learn more than one language, research indicates there is

Learning a new language can not only intimidating but also require hard work and dedication. However, even amongst all the trials and tribulations, learning a new language can be very rewarding in the end. Learning a new language can assist with gaining employment, getting through day to day activities, and even help within the dating world for those that are interested in dating outside of their race. With knowing all of the hard work that goes into learning a new language, I wanted to see what things were like for those who wanted to learn the English language. A language that is most commonly used around the world and one that is set to help many gain much reward.

The world has become a global village and that has brought a lot of changes and new work positions into the market. Almost everywhere around the globe, bilingual professionals are in high demand. Also, bilingualism opens up two worlds of experience, job opportunities, literature, resources, and cultural heritage. Bilinguals have the privilege of getting their information from a wider variety of resources. Besides, research has shown that it’s easier for bilingual children to acquire other languages later in life. A study conducted by professors of the Department of Special Education of the University of Haifa, Israel showed that “students who know two languages would have an easier time gaining command of a third language than would students who are fluent in only one language.”

It was also found that 60% of students believed that their reading ability had an effect on their achievement in French and Japanese. As aforementioned in the Literacy Review that suggested bilingualism improved brain function because of this students who have a higher understanding of languages over then English are more likely to be in the upper academic brackets. Due to this collation between bilingualism and academic results it can be summarised that students who are achieving higher results in languages because of their reading ability are likely to be in a higher academic

Being bilingual can also allow one to multitask, and ultimately, drastically improve themselves in other subjects. As for the same reason being bilingual prevents Alzheimer's and dementia, it also allows bilinguals to better multitask. Judith Kroll, a distinguished professor of Psychology at Pennsylvania State University, spoke of the connection between multitasking and bilingualism while at the 2011 American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Washington D.C: “recent research indicates that bilingual speakers can outperform monolinguals … [in areas] such as editing out irrelevant information and focusing on important information” (qtd. in Kroll). Being better at prioritizing tasks and working on multiple projects at one time is what

Actually, being bilingual benefits the individual both mentally and physically, promotes cultural awareness, and allows for an individual to be more successful in today’s international world. Dr. Ellen Bialystok, a developmental psycholinguist ranked as Distinguished Research Professor at York University, states that bilinguals have improved memory, decision making, multitasking, and focusing skills. Also, bilingualism allows individuals to acquire a unique cultural awareness, as each language not only carries communication but its cultural, traditions, and values..** (stimulus) Some may question why English-only speakers should speak a foreign language while other countries are promoting their citizens to learn English. However, as the U.S. diversifies and the job market toughens, it is beneficial for individuals to make themselves more valuable to employers. These mental, physical, and social implications of bilingualism are positive and aid the nation would in preserving the cultures that the melting pot U.S. is known for. To promote effective and beneficial bilingualism throughout the nation, dual language immersion programs should be implemented into U.S. school

Countries around the world have become increasingly globalized with the majority requiring children to begin learning a foreign language through second language acquisition programs. These children are becoming more aware of other cultures and are exposed to understanding the importance of increasing connections with other cultures. Children that are bilingual or multilingual are essentially prepared to enter a competitive workforce in an increasingly globalized world. Additionally, the psychological aspect of learning a second language is advantageous and beneficial for the young developing mind. On the other hand, America doesn’t require children to learn a second language and the majority are monolingual. Only in high school are the majority

Depending on whom you ask, the topic of bilingualism is something that many individuals wonder and ask questions about, especially when it comes to language development. One of the main concerns parents and educators alike have about being bilingual is how is what kind effect will it have on a child when learning a second language while growing up. Many are scared because at times they think the child would lose their first language or not be able to learn a new language because it might be too difficult for them to learn to languages at the same time. However, there are people who also wonder if after learning and becoming proficient in one language is it easier to become proficient in many other languages. Therefore, studies have shown the effects of bilingualism in language and cognitive and have found theories to prove it. According to the author, “The theories of bilingualism include the balance theory, common underlying proficiency, threshold theory, and the linguistic interdependence hypothesis”(Wallner, 2016:15). Since these researchers did find out about these theories, they also identified that there are multiple benefits in speaking two languages; which are increased cognition and intercultural competence.

Language is a key part of any family, community, culture and the human race. Without language the world today would be much different. From cavemen, to the Egyptian use of hieroglyphics, to Old English, to more than 6,500 languages spoken around the world today, the advances that humans have made in language is remarkable and inspiring. The ability to speak, read, write and understand more than one language is also remarkable and expands the liberties in life, especially for young people. High school students should be required to take at least two years of a foreign language class in order to graduate, as many recent studies support the benefits of doing so. Students who have learned a foreign language in high school have proven to have a