You may or may not be bilingual, but you’re probably starting to wonder if your baby should be. She’s still trying to master English, but with a vocab that’s growing by the day, now might just be the perfect time to start sneaking a second language in. Youngsters have an uncanny ability absorb sounds like a sponge, so check out why you might want to jump on the opportunity to raise your little one with another language.
1. It’s an investment in their future. Believe it or not, someday your kid will be a full-fledged adult. Proficiency in a second language opens doors galore when it’s eventually time to join the workforce; when your kiddo gets their dream job, they’ll thank you for bringing them up as a bilingual baby.
2. It’s easier when they’re little. You’d love, love, loooooove to learn a second language, but nothing ever seems to stick. Imagine if you hadn’t waited until later in life to start learning another language. Your child has the chance to get a smart start early on. As she learns the ins and outs of English, she can also start picking up on sounds from other non-native tongues.
3. It might make them smarter.Research on bilingualism and children shows that kids who are raised learning more than one language have cognitive advantages that aren’t seen in those who aren’t. Of course, there’s no guarantee your tot’s bilingual abilities will put her on an ivy league path, but learning a second language as a child may help your little one with skills like verbal working memory and visual-spatial tasks.
4. It will instill a sense of wanderlust. Knowing more than one language can open doors for an aspiring globe-trotter. While you can’t always count on your child ending up where you envisioned, being bilingual can only enhance your child’s ability to experience what the great wide world has to offer.
5. It will help them do well in school. You want to give your child all the advantages they could possibly have. That’s why you put them on the pre-K waiting list when you were still in your second trimester. Adding a second language into the mix can help your child to get a jump on later academic endeavors. Instead of waiting until middle or high school to study Spanish, French, or Chinese, an early start may set them apart and give them a leg up later on.
6. It will teach them about different cultures. Being bilingual isn’t all about academics. Yes, your child will learn the vocabulary and grammar rules of another language, but they’ll also learn about the people and places that led to the creation of the language, as well as important cultural trends in the region. Not only does this expose your child to what other people do, think, eat, and listen to, but it also opens your child’s mind and helps them understand that everyone is not the same.
7. It will make it easier to learn even more languages. Learning a second language may make it easier for your child to pick up a third, fourth, or fifth. If she can tackle communicating with totally new words, adding on another language may seem somewhat natural.
Do you speak more than one language? Share how it has benefitted your life @BritandCo!
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