An important tool to have in today’s world is the mastery of at least two languages. In America, the greatest minor language to speak is Spanish since that is fast becoming a prominent dialect with the influx of more Hispanics every year. While adults have the ability to learn a new language, the best time to learn is the first three years of a child’s life. At this young age, children’s brains are like sponges, soaking up everything they see and hear. The first step is utilizing both the dominant language in conjunction with the secondary one. In this way, the child can relate the two words together and learn quicker.
Learning multiple languages has lasting mental effects. Studies show the grey matter of a multilingual speaker’s brain was denser than that of someone who only speaks one dialect. This is because their intellect is broadening the more languages they learn. Their language skills are growing at a fast rate although, without constant use of the other language, children are known to stop using it and forget what they learned. Once kids become bilingual it’s easier for their mind to absorb other dialects and accents.
In an interesting study, multilingual speakers have a reduced risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease as opposed to a monolingual person. In areas such as Europe and India, its is very common for children growing up knowing more than one language. In the current job market, having bilingual skills are an added edge to securing a position at any company.
For those kids who have a bilingual parent, it’s a way to respect and honor their parental language. For instance, a child with a Greek father will grow up understanding the language and appreciating the culture it originated from. It’s a long process teaching a child more than one language but extremely beneficial for his or her future.