In this modern world, many people argue about whether or not kids should be taught second languages from a young age. Most experts are saying that you should actually teach your children to be bilingual, if you can. Still, some people are asking why it’s even necessary.
- The Younger You Are, the Faster You Learn
More and more, educators are trying to introduce kids to a second language in late elementary school and early middle school. The reasoning behind this is that kids can absorb, understand, and retain information at a much higher rate than adults because our learning and retention skills decrease with age. The younger you start language learning, the easier it will be for them to learn it.
- It Looks Good on a Resume
The number one reason more and more parents are trying to teach their children to be bilingual is because it helps them compete in the marketplace when they’re older. Many professionals recommend that people should have three languages under their belt: a native language, a local language, and international language. In America, English tends to take the place of all three, but in other regions, like African nations and some European nations, it’s actually the norm for children to grow up speaking two or three languages simply because they’re surrounded by it.
- It Helps Them Relate to People in a Globalized World
Language is a big part of culture, and learning multiple languages can help people be more open to multiculturalism and people of different backgrounds. Simply understanding someone of a different culture can greatly help people’s ability to relate to other people and cultures.
- It Gives Them Options
Not only does language look great on their resume, but it helps give them options once they have jobs. Language allows them better chances for being able to travel in their jobs or live overseas. With more and more immigration happening, being bilingual allows people to get translating jobs or jobs working with immigrants.
- It Teaches Multitasking
Some people argue that when children learn multiple languages at once, it makes their verbal skills slower and weaker than kids that just learn one language. It actually is true that when children learn two languages at once their verbal skills may be slower at first, but in the long-term, their verbal and reading skills in both languages are comparatively just as good as monolingual children. Speaking two languages also allows people to learn to express themselves and articulate themselves because they learn two different ways of saying things. Some people even say that knowing two languages increases your ability to multitask because your brain is used to having to balance multiple ways of understanding.
