You’re probably wondering whether you have the time and resources to help your children learn a second language. And you may not be convinced the effort will pay off overall. However, you can’t deny the benefits your kids will gain from being bilingual. Knowing an additional language can open doors and enable your child to interact with other kids from all over the world. With that in mind, here are some of the biggest advantages of your children learning a second language.
Opening the World of Travel
Some people have a fear of travelling, and a common reason for it is the language barrier. This has stopped individuals from heading to faraway destinations if they only spoke their native language there. Travel has become more accessible than ever before, enabling you to head to practically every continent on earth with ease, so it’s a shame to let anything hinder you from exploring the world.
If your kids learn a second language, this can help them learn about different cultures which can be an eye-opening experience. What’s more, when your children get a grasp of another language, they’ll have no qualms heading anywhere on the planet. If you want your kids to learn English for instance, you don’t have to leave your home to do so. Online Lessons provide online English lessons that you can consider. Having regular lessons with an online tutor can help your children become fluent in English in no time.
More Job Opportunities
We’ll be honest here. Not every child who attempts to learn another language will become fluent. However, if they have constant exposure to it and there’s an avenue to get them to a fluent level, there are all kinds of possibilities and job opportunities that your children can gain. As your kids gets older, they may aspire to fly the nest (literally) and embark on a career overseas.
Being fluent in two or more languages will give your children a competitive edge when compared to monolingual candidates. Other career advantages include a higher salary, career promotion and advancement, and of course, getting to explore the world! Being able to speak, negotiate, and explain in a different language will make your kids more employable, and boost their confidence and self-esteem.
Better Memory
According to research, one major advantage of your children learning a second language is enhanced memory. This works for both kids and adults too! If you decide to learn another language with your children, doing so will improve your memory along the way. While more studies need to be conducted to verify this, research has shown links between learning another language and warding off dementia.
Some of the cognitive benefits of learning another language may be down to the fact that the brain of a bilingual child develops more densely. Your child’s brain is like a sponge, which means they can soak up information much quicker than adults. Therefore, it makes sense for your children to learn a second language sooner rather than later.
Stronger Family Bond
All families should develop a strong bond. After all, it’s the glue that holds them together. You may not realize it but learning a second language can achieve that. For example, if you have an elderly loved one that only speaks one language, which isn’t your native, teaching your kids the language will develop stronger ties between them. Once your kids become fluent in the language, they’ll have no trouble communicating without the assistance of anyone else. Bringing generations together is one of the amazing things learning another language can do.
If you’re an immigrant, or your ancestors come to your country, one terrific way to pay homage to their heritage is by teaching your children the language of your ancestors. Whether it’s learning German, Spanish, French, or English, your kids may enjoy knowing they are speaking the same words as their ancestors they have never met. Learning a second language can give your child a sense of belonging too.
Perform Better Academically
As a parent, you’ll want your children to flourish in their academics. If you’re already dreaming of being at your child’s graduation with a gleaming smile, studies have shown that learning a second language can help them perform better at school. This goes for every area of study too, such as reading and writing skills.
Also, bilingual and multilingual students commonly perform better on tests. Students who can speak an additional language tend to score higher on entrance exams too. Seeing your children pass their exams with top marks can partially be put down to them learning a second language.
If there is one thing many of us wish we’d have done sooner, it’s learning another language. Even if you took language classes in school, you may have only retained a tiny portion of what you learned. Teaching your kids to be bilingual or multilingual will benefit them across many areas of their life, as well as develop crucial skills that can help them flourish in whatever they do in the future.
