Being bilingual has its benefits.
While researchers previously believed that learning two languages interfered with a child's learning and intellectual development, it has been found that this experience actually strengthens cognitive functions. Bilingual individuals are quicker at mental exercises: when monolingual and bilingual children in a 2004 study were asked to complete a computer exercise that involved sorting blue circles and red squares by shape (which is more challenging than sorting them by colour), the bilingual participants did so in a shorter amount of time. The main difference between a monolingual and a bilingual is an increased ability to be aware of changes in the environment.One study showed that brain activity in a bilingual when completing a monitoring task (requiring monitoring of surroundings) was less than that of his monolingual counterpart, signifying greater efficiency in that task. Bilingualism can have advantages for individuals of all ages, from the infant in a bilingual environment to the bilingual senior. Children learning more than one language gain a greater understanding of language structure in both languages. Some studies show bilinguals to be less likely than others to present symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. The more proficient a bilingual is in each of the two languages he knows, the greater the benefit. Benefits of bilingualism may include:- protection against dementia- improvement in task-switching abilities- improvement in ability to plan, solve problems, stay focused, and keep information in mind - becoming more culturally-aware- increased chances of getting a job in which speaking another language is valued- better performance in school
Sources:
http://www.cal.org/earlylang/
http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
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