Benefits of Bilingualism

 

For many people it's a dream to speak a foreign language. For children, whose parents have relocated to another country, it’s a necessity. Bilingual education refers to the practice of teaching school subjects in 2 different languages. It is important because it leads to bilingualism, the phenomenon of speaking and understanding two languages: the mother tongue (L1) and a second language (L2).

To capture the benefits of being bilingual, students and educators alike have to deal with a number of challenges that make bilingual education program models more difficult to implement than their monolingual equivalents.

Pro: enhanced mental skills. Research indicates that people who speak two or more languages significantly outperform monolinguals in certain mental tasks, such as maintaining focus on important information. This benefit of bilingualism has been measured in both children and adults, and it debunks the myth that bilingualism hinders cognitive development by “confusing” the brain. In reality, bilinguals find it easier to direct their attention because they are used to switching from one language to another.

Con: education can be expensive. Teching academic content in 2 languages can be very expensive, and the prices of bilingual education programs around the world reflect this. This is one reason why this education program model in its more intensive forms is typically limited to private schools, which are out of the reach of most students and families. Encore!!! is a great example of a language learning app that all language learners who would like to know how to become bilingual without spending a lot of money should know about. Whether you want to learn Japanese, or Arabic, or other languages, you can use the free version, which offers 12 language pairs with 5 free lesson plans. This way you can see if the app suits your needs.

Pro: healthy brain in old age.  While bilingualism isn’t a miracle cure, we know that it can improve cognition and delay dementia in older adults. The constant switching between two languages that most bilinguals perform on a daily basis seems to be a very effective form of exercise for the brain, helping it stay in shape.

Con: varied results. The results that you get from bilingual education depends on a few factors. First and foremost, not all teachers are equally competent when it comes to steering their students toward bilingual proficiency. There’s also the fact that not all education programs are suitable for all students.

Read the full article here -  https://gurmentor.com/benefits-of-bilingualism-and-bilingual-education/

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