Frequently Asked Questions
The benefits of bilingualism can be seen in different aspects of a person’s life. In education, bilingualism ensures more success to the children as it helps them in performing better than others. It becomes easy for bilinguals to obtain expertise in additional languages. In career, the ability to speak two languages is considered as an extra skill of the job applicants. Most of the employers need bilingual employees as they need to offer services in more than one language. In health, being bilingual interrupts the beginning of dementia and other symptoms of Alzheimer. In life, an individual’s horizon is increased if he can speak two languages. Being able in switching from one language to another with confidences provides an individual with pride and self-confidence. In addition, speaking more than one language makes individuals more accepting towards other culture.
In today’s world, specially, it is important for every individual to obtain expertise in a second language as there are many benefits of having expertise in another language. An individual’s job opportunities can be expanded by learning a second language while it enhances his/her memory and brain functions and enables people in connecting and conversing with a growing diverse population of multilingual residents. Apart from the benefits of expanded job opportunities, having expertise in an additional language enhances different aspects of the functioning of brain. All these indicate that it is extremely important to have expertise in an additional language as it increases job opportunities and improves brain functioning.
Bilingualism is referred to the ability of using two languages. However, it is a problematic matter provide a definition of bilingualism because individuals with different bilingual characteristics may also be classified as bilingual. The definitions of bilingualism vary from a minimal expertise in two languages, to an advanced level of expertise in that permits an individual in functioning and appearing as a native-like speaker of two languages. One can describe a person as bilingual but it may imply only the ability of conversing and communicating orally. Other individuals may have the expertise in reading in two or more languages instantaneously.
Bilingual children demonstrate certain advantages in socio-cognitive development when they are compared to monolinguals, especially in understanding others’ beliefs, choosing crucial variables in solving a problem, and entertaining two potential interpretations of the same inducement at once. Research suggests that bilingualism largely contributes to the cognitive development in children. This is why most of the researchers suggest the presence of bilingual education for children.