Most days parents making parenting decisions based on parental intuition, but there are some decisions we consider professional opinions. While you may have heard that learning a new language is important, but here is some guidance from research and professionals that can help you with this parenting decision.
- “Studies have shown that foreign-language skills improve an individual’s hiring prospects, increase their pay levels and contribute to positive cognitive development.”
Resource: https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/opinion/tn-dpt-me-patrice-apodca-20180821-story.html
- “Balanced bilinguals are more likely to graduate from high school, go on to college, secure better jobs, and earn more money than those who speak only English.”
Resource: https://www.leadwithlanguages.org/why-learn-languages/heritage-learners/
- “With interdependence globally, in order for us to do business around the world, it’s important to speak the language of our customers and the people we’re trying to establish diplomatic relations with.”
Resource: https://www.fatherly.com/love-money/foreign-language-education-united-states-europe/
- “The brains of the science students did not change or grow but the brains of the language students experienced growth in areas of their cerebral cortex, which is related to language, and in their hippocampus, which is involved in learning new things.”
Resource: https://www.businessinsider.com/language-learning-makes-for-bigger-brains-2012-10
- “These cognitive benefits of language learning have been shown to enhance student performance producing:
- Higher standardized test scores
- Higher reading achievement
- Expanded student vocabulary in native language (English)
- Higher academic performance at the college level”
Resource: https://www.actfl.org/guiding-principles/benefits-language-learning
- “Being fluent in two or more languages gives you an edge over monolingual candidates in job interviews. These opportunities exist in all companies and departments which range from marketing to tourism.”
Resource: https://bilingua.io/benefits-learning-a-foreign-language-career
As you can read from the research and professionals, it seems like a no brainer that you should invest in your child learning another language. It will help their future in so many ways!