08 Sep 2021

“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein



Language fuels our brains, frames our thoughts, and makes complex communication possible. How about introducing a second language in early childhood and make kids bilingual? According to researchers, “Bilingualism is an experience that shapes our brain for a lifetime." (REFER:https://www.npr.org)


Children are incredibly sensitive to the different ways people speak. Even when they only hear one language, they learn very quickly about differences between the way men and women talk, the difference between polite and impolite ways of talking, and so on.


Benefits of Bilingualism -


  1. Makes kids smarter  

According to an article -The Power of the Bilingual Brain (TIME Magazine; Kluger, 2013), knowing multiple languages is important for travel, employment, speaking with members of one’s extended family, maintaining a connection to family culture, and history, and making friends from different backgrounds.


  1. Better social understanding

Bilingual preschoolers have better skills than monolinguals in understanding others’ perspectives, thoughts, and desires. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles)


  1. Keeps mentally fit

Just as we need to do physical exercise, we ought to start doing more cognitive exercises to maintain our mental health. 

Researchers found that bilingual kids do better than monolingual counterparts in all subjects (REFER: www.bbc.com) They are better at concentrating, focusing and have a lot more self-esteem. Being fluent in two or more languages is one of the best ways to keep the brain fit and keep degenerative disorders like dementia at bay. 


  1. Enhances brain efficiency

The bilingual brain is good at high-level thought, multi-tasking, and sustained attention. 

 

 

Languages help us make sense of the world and can even influence the way we see and describe it. Indeed, learning another language not only helps us see the world from a different perspective, but it can even impact the way we think about it. 

As Dr. Panos Athanasopoulos, an expert in linguistics and bilingualism, puts it: “There’s an inextricable link between language, culture, and cognition”.



By - Vasudha Karia

Recent Blogs