1. Improved Cognitive Abilities:
Bilingual children and adults have better cognitive skills than the rest of the population. Language learning improves their memory and concentration ability. Their minds also become more flexible and learning a third language becomes easier. An improved cognitive system does not only help with learning new skills but also keeps the individual healthy.
2. Reduced Cognitive Decline:
Bilingual individuals have healthy brains. Learning a secondary language reduces the speed of cognitive function decline. A study proved that bilinguals don’t go through brain degeneration at the same rate as the rest of the world population. Monolingual patients with Alzheimer’s begin showing the symptoms at least five years earlier than bilingual patients.
3. Financial Advantage:
Whether you are in the United States or India, being able to speak a language other than your mother tongue will open a lot of doors for you. People who can speak German in the United States are highly likely to earn more than English speakers. In India, English speakers make a lot more money than monolinguals. Multinational companies prefer to hire bilinguals. So, if you speak multiple languages, getting a job will become easier for you. Being multilingual also help a country’s economy. In Switzerland, multilingualism contributes to the country’s GDP. On the other hand, the United Kingdom suffers losses annually because of monolingualism.
4. Increased Learning Capacity:
Every polyglot had the bilingual experience first before they learned multiple languages. Once someone picks up a language other than their mother tongue, learning other vernaculars become easier. There are a few conditions to this. For instance, you can’t learn Mandarin Chinese and then expect to gain a better understanding of German because of it. But if you studied Korean, it would be easier for you to learn Japanese after that. Studying Swedish will make Norwegian and Danish easier for you. Even if you don’t want to become a polyglot, language skills can improve your performance at school.
5. Better Social Skills:
A bilingual person can not only speak a foreign language but also empathize with its speakers. As a result, they have a better understanding of the lives of others. They can communicate with others easily. Their improved social skills help them connect with others wherever they go. Bilingualism matters a lot today because of the way our differences are affecting the world.
6. It Is Common:
It is mostly the native speakers of the English language who are monolinguals. The rest of the world population is made up of bilinguals and multilinguals. Various countries have more than one official language. South Africa has eleven official languages including Afrikaans and Xhosa. Belgium has three: German, French, and Dutch. In such countries, everyone speaks multiple native languages fluently. In multilingual countries, people learn multiple vernaculars at home and then pick the English language thanks to bilingual education.