The Benefits of Bilingualism

Learning a second language is not solely a linguistic activity itself; it is also a cognitive one. It is proven
that students from immersion classrooms out-score their peers in the verbal and math sections of
standardized tests, which cooperates to their academic success.

If a person can speak a second language, he/she will have better and higher job prospects than those
of the monolingual peoples. Studies have shown that bilingual people have an advantage over
monolinguals in different areas. Here are some of the benefits to become bilingual.

2. Creativity

Since bilinguals can have a better understanding of the workings of the language than their
monolingual peers, they develop an ability to manipulate the language which improves their problem
solving skills, and therefore, their creativity.

4. Tolerance towards differences

Being bilingual can help you make friends. Language and culture are intertwined, and thus the learning
of a foreign language can build cultural competence skills better than any other discipline.
Consequently, bilingual students can be more tolerant towards cultural differences and can interact
better with people worldwide.

5. Prevention of mental health conditions

Being bilingual can sustain your mental health. Controlling two or more languages in the brain is kind
of an exercise. For that reason, bilinguals can develop a protective benefit over age-related mental
diseases. Researches from the University of Ghent in Belgium show that bilingualism can delay the
beginning of Alzheimer’s by more than four years.

6. A better understanding of your native language

Our first language comes to us so naturally that we don’t often think deeply about its organization.
“When you’re able to compare two languages,” Lichtman says, “you learn that there are other possible
ways of doing things, such as structuring a sentence or expressing tense. So, ultimately, you gain a
better understanding of how your first language is constructed.”

4. More fulfilling travel experiences

Being bilingual makes travel easier and more exciting and allows for more personal interactions. “You
can get much deeper into the places you visit if you know the language,” Lichtman says. “Otherwise,
you’re just a tourist.”

5. Other languages come easier

Once you learn a second language, learning the third or fourth is easier.

6. A global perspective

Learning another language raises the awareness that other countries and groups of people do things
differently. “When you acquire a new language, you don’t just learn vocabulary,” Barbe says. “You
learn to put that language in the context of a different culture.”

What is an immersion classroom?

Language immersion, or immersion classroom, is a technique used in bilingual language education in
which two languages are used for instruction in a variety of topics, including math, science, or social
studies. The languages used for instruction are referred to as the L1 and the L2 for each student, with
L1 being the native language of the student and L2 being the second language to be acquired through
immersion programs and techniques.

7. language is power

It has been asserted that “language is power” and it is an invisible force that can penetrate visible
social and economic boundaries [57]. Being multilingual can be considered as a form of human capital
for it can afford one the opportunity of earning higher income and obtaining aspiring employment
status in any influential society.