Learning a second language at an early age can present some challenges but is well worth the effort because there are many benefits. Being bilingual in today’s crowded job market can be incredibly beneficial. (And there are also great non-economic benefits to learning a foreign language.) You don’t even have to be a college graduate to benefit from having a second language. Career benefits to learning a second language. This means that a monolingual who makes $20 per hour could make $27.40 by learning a second language. Here are 18 benefits of learning a second language and how it can improve your career and overall wellbeing. According to research conducted by Julia Morales of Spain’s Granada University, children who learn a second language are able to recall memories better than monolinguals, or speakers of just one language. Companies recognize the value of bilingualism when facing economic hardship due to rising wages since they lay off monolingual employees first and bilingual employees last. Economic Advantages of Bilingualism Literature Review. English Language Learners (ELL), as well as anyone engaging in obtaining multilingual abilities, were found to have eight mental benefits. It gives you a competitive edge when … Benefits of Learning a Second Language Helping your child learn a second language before or during kindergarten sets them up with a life skill early on. Check out an overview of the five components of second language acquisition theory to find your best options toward bilingualism. Spanish not only gives you more ways of saying “hi,” it opens you up to a world of almost half a billion people (470 million speakers) who have different ways of thinking and go about looking at situations and experiencing the world in different ways.This single fact alone, that you’ll be opening your mind to the possibility that your culture isn’t the only one doing awesome things, is enough motivation to learn Spanish.But the thing is, Spani… So why not get started now? It’s never too late or too early to learn a new language. Are there any advantages to bilingualism? The Economic Benefits of Bilingualism. Not many students realize, however, that the research reveals that graduates of Modern Languages find work sooner after graduation than graduates from Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics programs. Though there is some economic benefit to mastering a foreign language, the report attributes its relatively low value to supply and demand of foreign language speakers. As you learn a second language, your knowledge of grammar improves. Moreover, learning a second language can benefit a person in various cognitive aspects and improve ones life. Someone who got to the level of being bilingual bore those early days with grace and confidence, not being afraid to make mistakes while they were still perfecting their language abilities. I’ve personally seen and experienced the many benefits of learning a second language, and continue to find the employment, citizenship, and cognitive benefits to be numerous. Here are some reasons why you should learn a fo… Learning a new language definitely fits these criteria. Benefits of Learning a Second Language. Learning a new language helps and changes us in so many ways. Second language skills are a strategic asset once in the workforce. We've rounded up the top 11 benefits of learning a foreign language. It gives you a boost in mental stimulation. 1. Author Jordan Arrington. By learning another language, your mother tongue can improve as a result. When asked, Human Resources managers say that bilingual job candidates have more determination, discipline, and cultural awareness, and they believe that bilinguals listen and learn better than monolingual candidates. Keep reading to learn about the economic, cultural, and academic benefits of learning a second language. Language learning keeps your brain active, engaged, and growing. Becoming bilingual, or being able to speak a second language, has a variety of benefits. It will help you stand out in a job interview when it comes time to look for a job. How can I use “leading cause” in a sentence? Being bilingual or multilingual instantly makes you more competitive in the workforce, helps you develop a better sense of the world around you, and ultimately makes you more money. Learning a second language offers so many benefits and virtually no drawbacks. The reason Modern Languages graduates can avoid unemployment early in their careers is that they their communication skills make them employable in greater range of industries in multiple sectors of the economy. In Canada, bilinguals make, on average, 37% more than their monolingual co-workers. Foreign languages provide a competitive edge in career choices: one is able to communicate in a second language. You don’t even have to be a college graduate to benefit from having a second language. Unlike their monolingual counterparts, they can move to geographic areas where their second language is spoken during an economic downturn to find work. Learning a new language offers an abundance of benefits. Four out of five new jobs in the US are created as a result of foreign trade. I recommend this blog and Above Skill, if you want to know more about cognitive skills. Studies have found that multilingual children have some advantages when it comes to social situations. Here’s our list of nine of them. Even though English is one of the most-spoken languagesin the world, it can be difficult to find someone who can speak English for every situation. Thanks to modern language learning apps like Encore!! High school graduates who studied Modern Languages make 4% more money than students who avoided language courses. Additionally, a second language allows for citizens to become more culturally aware, reaping benefits in terms of more cosmopolitan citizenship. In a globalized world, where mobility is facilitated, learning a language is a wonderful benefit. The more they learn, the less they see one another as "others." Benefits of Second Language Learning . In part, this is because the second language is not always taught effectively in schools, and students are not always motivated to learn the second language. According to Economic Advantages of Bilingualism, a Government of Canada report (Heritage Canada, 2016), the answer is yes. One strives to learn a foreign language for a variety of reasons. All students in Canada take second language courses at school, but many do not learn enough of the second language to be considered bilingual. 1. Improved First Language. Acquiring a second language improves your memory and increases your attention span. One study showed that bilingual children could better interpret an adult’s intended meaning than monolingual children. Whether it’s because you want to live in another country or you want to befriend someone from a different culture, knowing how to speak to each other is important. 6 Serious Social Benefits of Learning a Second Language Better ability to see the perspectives of others. Modern economic benefits of learning a second language include: As globalization increases, the old boundaries that separated language groups are becoming increasingly blurred by the relative ease of travel, advances in technology, and internationally focused economic systems. Compared to those without an additional language, bilingual children have improved reading, writing, and math skills, and they generally score higher on standardized tests. Moreover, learning a second language can benefit a person in various cognitive aspects and improve ones life. Acquiring a second language enables us to develop various mental abilities at all ages. Modern economic benefits of learning a second language include: Employment at international corporations - These companies expect employees to function fluently in several languages. This linguistic awareness then transfers back to your first language. Thanks for posting this article on the benefits of learning a foreign language. The cognitive benefits of learning a language have a direct impact on a child’s academic achievement. https://www.caslt.org/files/learn-languages/pch-bilingualism-lit-review-final-en.pdf. This article argues that there are benefits to learning a language which go beyond simply acquiring a new communication system. Their bosses seem reluctant to pay more for language training, which is surprising because nearly 70% of company executives believe that bilingualism increases innovation and sales. Because of that, language learning has been proven to delay or reduce the risk of memory loss, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. theme: Serena, by Kay Belardinelli. Being flawless grammatically becomes difficult when you are managing multiple languages. According to language experts, it has been found that people trying to learn multiple languages suffer from weak verbal skills. Languages are a vehicle for the free exchange of ideas. Understanding the intricacies of more than one language as early as possible is great for children throughout their lives! As the world becomes more connected, the importance of communication between countries is crucial to … In Quebec, where the demand for English is stronger than the demand for French in the rest of Canada, Economics professors Louis Christofides and Robert Swidinsky (2010) found that bilingual French-speaking men make about 7% more than monolingual French speakers. Academic and linguistic benefits to learning a second language include: The act of identifying structures and forms in a new language goes a long way towards being able to recognize similar aspects in the learner's native language. High school graduates who studied Modern Languages make 4% more money than students who avoided language courses. So, while you are at school, look for opportunities to learn a second language. 15 Steps To Master The Art of Storytelling, 7 Secrets to Write Like a Native English Speaker, How to Write and Revise an Argument Essay, 10 Effective Tips to Help You with Essay Writing, How To Write A Story For Complete Beginners. It Widens Job Opportunities. Native language gets neglected. One aspect of the article that I appreciated was that it presented several benefits of learning a foreign language--economic, social and personal. Not only does it benefit their minds, but it opens doors to them that might be closed without these language skills. Those same bilinguals make nearly 21% more if they speak English on the job. Pillar 1 – Promoting Business Use of a Second Language Building awareness of the benefits of second language skills and facilitating its … A teacher in a multilingual school has to have the ability to reach out to students of different cultures. In reality, learning a new language is nothing but beneficial for the mind and body, and has countless physical, mental, personal, professional, and social benefits. You shouldn’t, because a translation book will not benefit your experience at all. Learning a second language outside of school is not easy. Not only does it help when traveling, it is also a great advantage for studying in general and for career prospects abroad. One thought on “The Cognitive Benefits of Learning a Second Language for Kids” Above Skill says: September 19, 2020 at 2:05 am I went through your blog, it’s an excellent one. However, these aren’t the only benefits of learning a new language. 6. Many workers want to develop their second language skills, but half believe that their company does not provide enough language training. The mental, social and cultural benefits will help your student thrive and improve their personal growth. This article delineates the social benefits of learning a language . Retrieved from https://www.caslt.org/files/learn-languages/pch-bilingualism-lit-review-final-en.pdf, Tags: benefits of bilingualism, bilingualism, value of knowing two languages, © 2020 Virtual Writing Tutor Blog. A recent study titled: The Contribution of Multilingualism to Creativity, has proven there are many benefits for the brain gained through learning an additional language. Here are some of the ways that learning another language can positively impact your life. Learning a second language is more than just learning how to communicate in a new way. Shureka on July 24, 2017 at 11:51am. Not only does learning a second language improve communication skills and multiply vocabulary in your first language—yes, really!—but research shows that it makes picking up additional languages a much easier feat, especially among children. Job security - An employee who knows two languages is more valuable to an employer than another employee who speaks only one language. A second language improves your skills and grades in math and English and on the SAT and GRE. Your brain thrives on learning things that are new and complex. Being able to exchange cultural information goes a long way towards forming meaningful bonds between communities. In North America, the 1990s was a decade of renewed interest in language learning. On paper, Canada is a bilingual country. After learning one language, you retain the muscle memory. three categories or pillars: 1) Promoting Business Use of a Second Language, 2) Jobs and Hiring, 3) Education and Training. Chrsitofides, L. N., & Swidinsky, R. (2010). The hippocampus is the cerebral structure whose main task is memory. … Let's take a look at 15 incredible benefits of learning another language. Here are some cultural benefits for learning a second language: When people can communicate comfortably in a shared language, they naturally learn more about one another. Often, the process of learning a new language actually improves the learner's understanding of their native language as well. After childhood, the areas of the brain that are responsible for language acquisition become more fixed, and the process of picking up additional languages becomes more academic and less organic. One aspect of the article that I appreciated was that it presented several benefits of learning a foreign language--economic, social and personal. In other words, jobs that actually require using English at work pay bilinguals 14% more than jobs that only require a knowledge of English. The hippocampus is the cerebral structure whose main task is memory. Each individual has their own reasons for learning a second language. The first of our 10 health benefits of learning a second language is that it increases the volume of different areas of the brain! by Nicholas Walker, under For teachers. It argues that the acquisition of another language is a valuable and even noble pursuit. As a result, second language benefits have never been more valuable. There are many health benefits to learning a second language, and this is a big one. In 2012, scientists discovered that frequent language practice generates larger hippocampal size and greater cortical thickness. 1. These simplified languages, or pidgins, then evolved into complete language systems spoken by a wider range of people. 7) Become a better global citizen. Bilingual workers enjoy more employment opportunities than monolinguals since bilinguals are more mobile. But no matter the inspiration, these learners experience unique rewards, some of the benefits of learning a second language are universal. More so than it has any disadvantage. More and more, employers are starting to recognize the value of soft skills to the productivity and success of their business. 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