The Advantages of Being Bilingual

I have two children at home and both of them speak two languages from birth. What is more, I seem to have many students in my classes who are bilingual and without a doubt there is often a “you’re so lucky” look thrown at them by the other students who are forced to learn a second language the “normal” way.

Given the fact that our school places special emphasis on individual education while encouraging emotional, mental and intellectual development, we have many students who come from bilingual and international families. This means that I daily come in contact with numerous bilingual students and hence I have been reading many articles on the benefits of bilingualism lately and I’ve decided to gather some of the best ones into one post. 

The most significant advantage which has been reported recently must be the fact that “bilingual patients developed dementia 4.5 years later than the monolingual ones.” This was the outcome of a research lead by Dr. Thomas Bak. Suddenly, growing old doesn’t seem so bad J

Bilingualism has also been found to enhance a child’s working memory as shown by a research conducted by Ellen Bialystok at the University of Granada.

Bilinguals are better at multi-tasking. “Children who grow up learning to speak two languages are better at switching between tasks than are children who learn to speak only one language” as explained in Bilingual Children Switch Tasks Faster than Speakers of a Single Language.

Bilingualism makes you more open-minded and sensitive to others:  “bilinguals have an enhanced awareness of other people’s points of view, born from their deeper understanding, from an early age, that some people have a different perspective.”

This probably makes bilinguals better managers as well as stated in the Financial Times article The Multilingual Dividend.

Another study found that bilingualism enhances your listening ability. It showed that in a noisy environment bilinguals are “better at detecting the different sounds, therefore enhancing attention.”

Bilingual children are less easily distracted. Judy Willis MD, a neurologist, teacher and author states that “compared to monolinguals, the bilingual children develop greater attention focus, distraction resistance, decision-making judgment and responsiveness to feedback”  and that “research supports encouraging parents to retain use of their native language in the home” in her article Neuroscience and the Bilingual Brain.

If you grow up as a bilingual you are often also bicultural. In his article Advantages of Being Bicultural  Prof François Grosjean lists the benefits as “having a greater number of social networks, being aware of cultural differences, taking part in the life of two or more cultures, being an intermediary between cultures” as well as having “greater creativity and professional success”.

So, next time my 7 year old places a Czech word in the middle of his English sentence, or one of my bilingual students confuses Czech and English pronunciation – I will just give them a “sympathetic look” and think: “Yeah, you’re still better off than I am.”

… and to the rest of the students… I just gave 8 reasons to start studying your second or third language…. The more the better J

Is going to college or university important?

Yesterday, I took a dozen of our Juniors and Seniors to a local University Trade Show – designed specifically for students who want to gain more information about the application process and maybe even find more information which can help them better choose which school to apply to.

Having a son who himself is in that process, as he will be applying next month to a university or college, the topic of choosing best college or not choosing one at all is of great concern for me.

Many students often ask me the one and only simple questions: Is going to college or university important?

Today, I did my own research (based on US / UK information – not CZ as the language is a bit of a disadvantage for me J ) and here are 4 reasons why you should go to college.

1.    You Will Make More Money

Let’s face it: most of us want to make money, and making more money is often a good thing. According to Simply Hired, the average salary for a  college graduate is $46,000, but the average is $32,000 for those with a high school diploma. Obviously, more money is often a plus, and although colleges can be expensive, many people feel that having debt is reasonable if it leads to a better paying job.

I am fairly certain, that in the long run in the Czech Republic the same principle applies (although with different numbers).

 

2.    Many Jobs Require a College Degree

You can certainly start at a company and work your way up, and you may be able to achieve the career you hope for. Even if you are able to move up in the company, some jobs will still be out of your reach without a degree. Depending on this position, you may be required to obtain a degree even if your experience far surpasses workers coming in with a degree.

In addition to specific jobs within a field requiring a degree to move forward, many specific careers also require a specific degree. There are certainly excellent jobs that you will not need a degree for, but certain positions (like most teaching jobs, nursing jobs, and so on) will require formal training. If you want to have a career in one of these fields, you will have to earn the necessary degree.

 

3.    You Will Gain Valuable Skills

College is often what you make of it. While some colleges are better known and more prestigious than others, you can gain a valuable education at most schools if you put the work in. If you attend class regularly, and you choose classes that will challenge you, you will get more from school. You can focus on classes that will help develop skills that will be useful. It’s also important to get an internship if possible. Often, internships are available to students with good standing which can provide a one foot in the door for a future job.

4.    College is a New Experience

Not only will college help in determining whether or not the intended career is the right fit, but it also provides valuable lessons in learning how to interact with other people. Once in the “real world” everyone needs to be able to work with many different personalities, and college is a great time to start practicing.

College also is a good introduction to being an adult. Although you will probably still have a meal plan, you will be responsible for attending class and doing well, keeping track of commitments, and so on. Many aspects of college translate into important life skills that will help you after college.

There are many other reasons to go to college. You may meet friends that you will have your entire life. You also might study abroad and learn about new cultures, or you may join clubs that you never knew existed. College gives you the chance to start fresh and reinvent or find yourself.

Hence, get off your bed and apply!