HOW BEING BILINGUAL
BENEFITS KIDS
Bilingualism has long been
advantageous to adults
who like to travel. An ability
to speak a foreign language
fl uently can ease travelers’
concerns when visiting a new
country, and it also can help
professionals advance their
careers and expand their networks.
But the benefi ts of bilingualism
aren’t exclusive to
adults. According to Waterford.
org, a 501(c)(3) organization
that seeks to blend aspects
of learning science, mentoring
relationships and innovative
technology to help learners,
bilingualism benefi ts students
in myriad ways.
• Bilingualism is advantageous
to emergent readers.
Waterford.org reports that
bilingualism has long suffered
from a misconception
that knowing two languages
makes learning to read diffi -
cult. However, a 2012 article
in Cerebrum Magazine noted
that bilingual students develop
metalinguistic skills at an earlier
age than most other children.
Metalinguistics is the
understanding of the structure
of a language on both a verbal
and written level. Waterford.
org notes that linguists believe
bilingual kids’ exposure to
multiple languages at a young
age sharpens their ability to
pick up on word structure,
thus helping them develop
the tools necessary to learn to
read faster than their monolingual
peers.
• Bilingualism improves children’s
vocabulary. A 2014
study published in the Journal
of Experimental Child Psychology
found that bilingual
children have a higher vocabulary
range than monolingual
children. Because of that
heightened familiarity with
words, spelling and learning
the alphabet comes more naturally
to bilingual youngsters.
• Bilingualism may improve
attention spans and working
memories. A 2010 review
published in the journal Review
of Educational Research
found that bilingual students
usually have stronger working
memories and attention
spans than monolingual students.
Working memory is an
executive function of the brain
that holds new information in
place so the brain can work
with it and ultimately connect
it with other information. A
strong working memory is a
signifi cant advantage for students,
as is a longer attention
span.
• Bilingualism affects students’
self-discipline and
perseverance. Self-discipline
and an ability to persevere
can benefi t students as they
learn to study and work to understand
potentially complex
subjects. A 2011 study published
in the Canadian Journal
of Experimental Psychology
found that bilingual students
outperformed their monolingual
counterparts on tasks
that required self-discipline,
perseverance and other skills.
Long thought to adversely affect
young students learning
to read, bilingualism has since
been shown to do just the opposite.
That’s just one of the
many ways in which fl uency
in two or more languages benefi
ts students.
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