Being multilingual: benefits!

I have always recognized the importance of multilingualism, but I understand that the challenging task of raising a child with proficiency in multiple languages and cultural familiarity can lead to doubts about whether the effort is worthwhile. 

Nevertheless, it is crucial to acknowledge that there are numerous benefits to multilingualism that can reinforce your decision to provide this gift to your child. 

With that in mind, I have compiled and selected some of these benefits to share with you:

• Improved cognitive development: Research has shown that children who are raised multilingual have better cognitive abilities, such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and memory.
• Improved communication skills: Being multilingual allows children to communicate with a wider range of people and cultures, which can improve their social and emotional development.
• Increased cultural awareness: Learning multiple languages exposes children to different cultures, traditions, and ways of thinking, which can broaden their perspectives and enhance their understanding of the world.
• Children who grow up in multilingual environments often exhibit greater tolerance and display elevated levels of empathy.
• Better job prospects: Being fluent in multiple languages is a valuable skill in the global job market and can lead to more job opportunities and higher salaries.
• Improved academic performance: Children who are raised multilingual have been shown to perform better in school, particularly in subjects such as reading, writing, and mathematics.
• Delayed onset of Alzheimer's and dementia disease: Studies have found that being multilingual can delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia ( compared to monolingual individuals)

Overall, raising your child multilingual can provide numerous benefits that can last a lifetime.

for more 👉Multilingual education

Resources

Independent effects of bilingualism and socioeconomic status on language ability and executive functioning Calvo, Bialystok

A Systematic Revi ew and Meta-Analysis of the Cognitive Correlates of Bilingualism

Delaying the onset of Alzheimer disease by Fergus I.M. Craik, Ellen Bialystok, Morris FreedmanBilingualism delays clinical manifestation of Alzheimer's disease, Cambridge University press

Bilingualism, language proficiency, and learning experiences: A study of Chinese immigrant children in the United States. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. Wei, L., Chen, H. C., Ku, Y. M., & Wang, L. 2015.  (not available online)

Desarrollo infantil Gampe, A., Wermelinger, S. y Daum, MM Los niños bilingües se adaptan a las necesidades de sus compañeros de comunicación, los monolingües no.