Being multilingual is an advantage. Do you agree?

[General statement] Globalization has changed almost everything. A person

who possesses multilingualism is believed to have certain advantages in this
increasingly globalized and interconnected world. [Definition of key terms]
Multilingualism can be defined as the ability of a speaker to express himself or herself
in several languages with equal and native-like proficiency. It is clearly stated in the
quote by Frank Smith who was a Canadian psycholinguist, ‘One language sets you in
a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way’. From this
statement, we can know that mastering several languages brings benefits to a person.
[Thesis statement] Hence, I strongly agree that there are myriad advantages of being
multilingual such as providing a competitive edge in today’s job market, bringing
sociocultural advantages and enhancing the thinking skill of the person.

[Topic sentence] Firstly, it is crucial to know that one of the most significant
advantages of being multilingual is that it provides a competitive edge in today’s job
market. Companies tend to hire a multilingual person over a monolingual person as
multilingual workforce enhances the ability of a company to open doors to new
markets with the help of the globalization phenomenon owing to the fact that being
multilingual has the ability to multitask and being cognitively more agile. [Example]
For example, statistics from Massachusetts show that demand for bilingual workers is
more than doubled between the year 2010 and 2015 and the number of online job
postings for bilingual candidates in Massachusetts escalated from 5,612 in 2010 to
14,561 in 2015. This means that if a job opening comes down to a candidate with
equal experience and education, but one is proficient in more languages, then the
multilingual person has a higher chance of getting the job. In fact, even as early in the
hiring process, if the resume stated that a person is multilingual, it will make the
person profile themselves as a highly performant candidate thus boosting the person
to the top of the interview list with potential employers. This situation is getting
obvious recently due to the scarcity of multilingual employees in certain industries
[Concluding Sentence] In essence, being multilingual definitely provides a
competitive edge in today’s job market.
 [Topic Sentence] Being multilingual brings sociocultural advantages. As the
saying goes, language is the key to the cultural past of a society. Hence, mastering a
language offers insights into other cultures and the particular person is able to see the
world from a broader perspective. Therefore, what makes multilingual people
different is that they are believed to have higher intercultural competence, which is
the higher ability to communicate and act appropriately with people from different
cultural backgrounds. [Example] For instance, statistics from Chuvash State
University, Russia in 2020 shows that multilingual person adapts to a new
environment easier, faster and with higher self-esteem. [Example] At the same time,
the recent research by the National University of Singapore in 2020 states that
multilingual children show less racial prejudice than children who only know one
language. What can we conclude from these researches is, languages shape the way
we think and significantly influence our worldview. Thus, as a multilingual person
who has an open mind and a tolerant personality, he or she can handle cultural shock
and accommodate foreign culture in the global village today in a faster and more
peaceful manner. [Concluding Sentence] In short, being multilingual absolutely
brings sociocultural advantages as the person has higher intercultural competence.

[Topic sentences] Last but not least, being multilingual is an advantage because
it can raise our thinking skills. Regardless of the industry a person works in, learning
a second or third language can be extremely beneficial not only for career
development but also for the education standard. Multilingual people who acquire
more than one language have developed a variety of mental abilities. [Example]
According to the research in Spain's Pompeu Fabra University, multilingual people
are better at observing their environment and anything unforeseen or misleading can
be easily detected by them. In other words, they are better at recognizing false
information than their monolingual peers. [Example] At the same time, recent
research that is done by the University of London Institute of Education also has
proven that students who speak more than one language do better in school. This is
because multilingual students are able to search for study materials written in different
languages and understand the ideas proposed by experts from other countries. With
the help of technology, this advantage is magnified again in this globalized world as
students can get the study materials wanted on the Internet within seconds.
[Concluding Sentences] Therefore, we can conclude that multilingualism has
enhanced the thinking skill of a person.

[Thesis statement (restated)] In a nutshell, there are three advantages of being

multilingual which are providing a competitive edge in today’s job market, bringing
sociocultural advantages and enhancing the thinking skills of a person. [Suggestion]
Therefore, the acquisition of multilingualism is incredibly necessary for people since
their childhood as it can give many benefits for their future. Programme intended to
foster and encourage foreign language study by the government are also needed to
bring the multilingual advantages within reach of all Malaysians so that we are not
going to be left behind in this globalized world. [Stance (reaffirmed)] As a
conclusion, I strongly agree that being a multilingualism person has advantages and is
one of a factor that contributes to a person's success.

(874 words)
REFERENCES

[1] Universal Journal of Educational Research, 2014, Benefits of Multilingualism in

Education, Horizon Research Publishing Corporation,
DOI:10.13189/ujer.2014.020304, Available from:
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1053855.pdf

[2] Evelyn Fogwe Chibaka (May 30th 2018). Advantages of Bilingualism and
Multilingualism: Multidimensional Research Findings, Multilingualism and
Bilingualism, Beban Sammy Chumbow, IntechOpen, DOI:
10.5772/intechopen.74625. Available from:
https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/59744
WORK DISTRIBUTION

Introduction and Conclusion : Nur Arisya Binti Zulkifli

Body Paragraph :
- Paragraph 1 : Nursyahirah Jasmeen Binti Sheik Mujipur Rahuman
- Paragraph 2 : Cheng Chea Hao
- Paragraph 3 : Aliff Danial Bin Johari