This article was written by Camryn Yi of Richard Montgomery High School
Learning a new language is never an easy thing to do. However, anyone can remember a time in their life where they were exposed to a new language, whether it is traveling to a different country, hearing a peer around them talking or studying a new language in school. Curiosity is part of human nature, and soon people start studying new languages, learning the vocabulary, grammar and culture the language comes from. Although they might not know, learning a new language and being bilingual has lots of benefits for their mental health, career and social life.
Why Should You Become Bilingual?
Did you know that the majority of the people around the world know at least two languages? According to BBC, at least 60 percent of people around the world are able to speak at least two languages, with numerous countries having several official languages. The shocking truth is that the people who are monolingual (only are able to speak one language) are a minority. As the population of the world has more than 7 billion people, it comes as a surprise that one in ten Americans are able to fluently speak a second language (Lead with Languages). According to Lead with Languages (an organization created by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, whose goal is to increase Americans’ knowledge of other languages and cultures), children who learn a language at a young age have significant advantage as it helps them develop an emotional and social skills, strengthens their academic achievement, promotes cognitive development, improves memory, helps them learn problem-solving, critical thinking, and listening skills and strengthens their mind in order to learn more languages in the future.
The Benefits of Being Bilingual
There are lots of benefits of being or learning to become bilingual that stretch beyond mental health. By being bilingual it is able to give you an advantage in the workforce and enhance your career, allows easier travel around the world, strengthens your mind, helps you find a new found meaning, expands your mind to new cultures, broadens your education and sharpens your memory (Northern Illinois University).
The advantages someone has by being bilingual is immense, and by becoming bilingual you are given yourself many paths of opportunity. The health benefits you gain from learning new languages are also advantageous. According to Northern Illinois University (NIU), a bilingual person’s brain functions and works differently than a monolingual’s brain. People who are bilingual will have an easier time switching between different tasks while ignoring unnecessary information. This function does not just apply to adults or people who have been studying languages for a long duration of time. Students who are currently learning a foreign language in school are able to achieve good grades and perform well in other subject areas. In addition, learning new languages early in life is able to slow down the worsening of neurological efficiency that occurs during aging and even delay the occurrence of dementia.
Additionally, the advantages of being bilingual helps significantly in people’s careers. Whether it is their resume or for retirement, the skill of being able to speak multiple languages is extremely important, especially in medical careers. According to Kent State University, as the U.S’s diversity increases, the importance of bilingualism in the healthcare industry also increases. It not only provides and increases care to the patients whose native language isn’t English, but it also provides comfort to the patient’s family. It helps the patients overall understand the medical treatment they are receiving and helps the medical professionals understand and treat them, creating a more pleasant and higher quality of care.
Conclusion
In conclusion, by taking the time to learn and study a new language and open your mind to a new culture, you are able to gain benefits that help you gain the career of your choice, increase your memory, delay the occurrence of harmful effects to your brain and connect to a new culture. The possibilities are endless when you understand and can speak a foreign language, and the greatest thing of all of becoming bilingual is that you are never too old or too young to start.
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