Benefits of a Bilingual Education

The Bilingual Advantage
By Claudia Dreifus, The New York Times

“There are two major reasons people should pass their heritage language onto children. First, it connects children to their ancestors. The second is my research: Bilingualism is good for you. It makes brains stronger. It is brain exercise.”

Raising Bilingual Children When You Only Speak One Language
Associated Content

“DVDs, books and music are another great outlet. If the language is a popular one in your community you can likely find these items in your local library or bookstore. Extremely popular languages in your country (e.g. Spanish and French in the United States) will usually already be an option on the DVDs you own. If not, the internet will likely garner you many options. A bilingual families board like the one at Babycenter is a great place to meet other parents who are raising bilingual children.”

Being Bilingual May Boost Your Brain Power
By Gretchen Cuda-Kroen, NPR News

“'The idea that children exposed to two languages from birth become confused or that they fall behind monolingual children is a common misconception’, says Janet Werker, a psychologist at the University of British Columbia who studies language acquisition in bilingual babies.

'Growing up bilingual is just as natural as growing up monolingual,’ said Werker, whose own research indicates babies of bilingual mothers can distinguish between languages even hours after birth.

'There is absolutely no evidence that bilingual acquisition leads to confusion, and there is no evidence that bilingual acquisition leads to delay,’ she said.”

QUE PASA, MOMMY: Raising A Bilingual Child Takes Time And Dedication. Here’s Why It’s Worth It
By Susan Hayes, New York Family Magazine

“... Regardless of whether you, the parent, are monolingual or bilingual, your child’s brain is ready to learn two languages. As a monolingual parent, however, you will need more outside support to provide sufficient 'language input’ for your child. But living in a city like New York puts you at great advantage. If you regularly use a babysitter or daycare provider, my number one suggestion is to find one who speaks the language you’d like your child to learn. I have interviewed a number of monolingual parents whose children have become proficient in Mandarin Chinese thanks to their babysitters. I also encourage parents to learn the language along with their children because they feel more part of the process that way, which is important.”

Juggling Languages Can Build Better Brains
Science Daily

“'Recent research indicates that bilingual speakers can outperform monolinguals—people who speak only one language—in certain mental abilities, such as editing out irrelevant information and focusing on important information,’ said Judith Kroll, Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Penn State. These skills make bilinguals better at prioritizing tasks and working on multiple projects at one time.”

A Second Language Gives Toddlers an Edge
Science Daily

“'Bilingual children outperformed their unilingual counterparts on tasks where they were distracted,’ says Dr. Poulin-Dubois. 'The small bilingual advantage that we observed in our 24-month-old bilinguals is probably due to a combination of infants’ experience listening to and using their two languages.’ These new findings have practical implications for educators and parents, says Dr. Poulin-Dubois. 'Exposing toddlers to a second language early in their development provides a bilingual advantage that enhances attention control.’”

Bilingual Benefits Reach Beyond Communication
Science Daily

“The authors note that 'when a bilingual speaks two languages regularly, speaking in just one of these languages requires use of the control network to limit interference from the other language and to ensure the continued dominance of the intended language.’ The bilingual advantage in attention and cognitive control may have important, long-term benefits. Preliminary evidence even suggests that their increased use of these systems may protect bilinguals against Alzheimer’s.”

Building a More Resilient Brain
The Wall Street Journal

“A lifetime of speaking two or more languages appears to pay off in old age, with recent research showing the symptoms of dementia can be delayed by an average of four years in bilingual people.”