That studying language opens doors, especially in the professional field, is nothing new. We all agree that knowing several languages enriches us personally and culturally, as well as giving us access to a wider range of knowledge and providing us with more job opportunities.
Until now, the debate revolved around when and how to learn these languages so as not to interfere with the learning process, especially for children. The question was: Is bilingualism, an advantage or a problem?
Research up to the 1960s showed that bilingual students could take longer to acquire language skills, but these beliefs have been left behind. On the contrary, according to psychologist and professor at York University in Toronto (Canada), Ellen Bialystok, the importance of learning a second language and doing so at an early age lies in “the ease with which children absorb and assimilate information”.
So, being bilingual is purely beneficial.
ADVANTAGES OF BEING A BILINGUAL
1. It helps you avoid distractions
One of the keys to being a better student is to avoid distractions. Today we need to develop specific skills about connectivity conflicts. If you have to write my essay, it is increasingly difficult to maintain concentration if we are surrounded by a lot of distractions such as cell phones, music, and advertising, which fight for our attention.
2. Ability to adapt and integrate into the environment
Bilingualism improves the executive function of the brain, so that the minds of bilingual people are more flexible, more efficient in planning, and more agile in finding solutions. This contributes to better communication and greater integration in the global world in which we live.
3. Selective attention and multitasking ability
By having to alternate between two languages, bilingual people develop a greater ability to listen and understand. They are better able to concentrate on the most important things and discard what is irrelevant, so they can process several tasks at the same time and switch from one to another with greater ease.
4. Creativity
Bilingual children tend to be more creative and better at posing and solving complex problems since they have to decipher more information and this forces them to constantly use the resources they have in both languages.
5. Ease of learning new languages
Using two languages at the same time is training for children’s minds and helps them to program their brain circuits to make it easier for them to learn new languages in the future.
6. Enables you to have a better travel experience
Your travel experience will be much more authentic if you know the language of the country you are visiting, even if you are not fluent in the language. You can bargain, order food correctly and understand the directions given by the locals if you get lost.
In addition, if you are bilingual, you can engage in more extensive conversations, rather than just superficial ones. The travel experience will be much more enriching if you know the language of the country you are visiting.
7. It makes you more competitive in the job market
Being able to speak a second language helps your resume stand out from other professionals who only speak one language. In addition, many companies in this era have international offices and sell their products or services around the world. This tells us that these companies are interested in hiring employees who can speak more than one language and know other cultures.
8. Less risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease
Learning two languages simultaneously has a positive impact on the brain and mental health because it creates an important cognitive reserve that improves the prognosis of degenerative diseases. This benefit is advocated by Professors Jared Diamond, a multilingualism researcher at the University of California, and Matt Davis of the University of Cambridge. Studies in Canada have also shown that bilingualism can delay Alzheimer’s disease by as much as four years.
CONCLUSION
In short, the brain of a bilingual person has a totally different organization than that of a monolingual person, prepared to memorize much more information, in addition to organizing it more efficiently, to access it quickly and effortlessly.
In addition to all these advantages, there is the great privilege of having access to two different cultures, which obviously enriches the student’s education in all its aspects: literature, history, and traditions.
