Maybe you speak a language other than English at home. Perhaps you live in a bilingual country and feel that your child would benefit from learning both official languages. Perhaps you have always been in other languages and you want your children to have that same love. Whatever the reason, experts agree that a child who learns a different language early in life will see lifelong benefits.
Second languages are easier to learn when children are young. In fact, it becomes much more difficult to learn a new language once a child reaches adolescence. Early then is key and today many preschools and kindergartens will offer this education to their students.
Children who are bilingual have more gray matter in their brains, do better on standardized tests, and also perform better on performance tasks that require concentration, multitasking, and/or creative problem solving. It seems that learning a completely different language opens the door to greater learning and processing skills and that, in turn, will open doors for the student once they are older.
Also, children who are bilingual start reading earlier and understand grammar better than those who are not. Using more of the brain at a young age certainly gives your child an advantage once they enter school, but did you know that a second language can also help offset the onset of dementia later in life for up to 4.5 years? ? More studies need to be done to understand exactly why this is true, but it shows that the more brain power you use, the stronger your brain becomes. It’s the old adage “use it or lose it” in all its glory.
Later in life, being bilingual will open the door to a better job for your little one. If you live in a country with two or more official languages, job opportunities in government positions are more likely to go to those who are fluent in both languages rather than those who are not. It also helps when traveling to know the local language and of course if parents and family speak Italian, for example, learning it will be easier and will also allow your child to speak freely with your family.
If you’re wondering which other language is the best to learn, experts say that Mandarin is spoken by more people than any other.
