Reasons why your children should learn a second language

As parents, we only want what is best for our children. We want them to be happy, healthy, and have an education that gives them the best foundation for life. Which is why it is so important to consider teaching your child a second language. But there are more benefits to learning additional languages than just acquiring that skill itself. Here are some practical reasons why you should think about a second language for your kids.

Communication

It's a huge world out there, only made bigger by the internet. Time zones permitting, we can speak to someone on the other side of the world in an instant, finding out how different their routines are from what we do every day. Communication in a second language obviously makes that easier, but the process of learning another language also makes us better communicators all round. We have to speak in another tongue and find our voices when we might normally be shy. Learning a second language can be a great way of breaking your kids out of their shells.

A little understanding

We live in a society that can be fearful of what is different. What better way to celebrate other cultures in the world than by teaching languages to our kids — and in doing so teaching them that different doesn't have to mean bad at all? When we learn a language, we also learn a little about how the people who speak it as a native language live. By learning to understand one different way of life to our own we can appreciate that there are many differences the world over. Empathy and understanding is a gift of language learning that is priceless.

Academia

Here's the sensible part. Having a second language on your resume will fling open doors to job opportunities as well as broaden the scope of work you can apply for. According to an article written on www.languagetrainers.com in 2017, the demand for bilingual workers has more than doubled in 5 years. Your kids might not be ready to be thinking about the working world just yet though, but if they grow up speaking more than one language, they are already at an advantage over their peers who do not. Children that learn a second language also boost their cognitive skills, are better organized, and generally cope with studying better for learning all the skills that you pick up naturally when studying a language. Time management, memory recall, problem-solving, listening skills; the additional benefits your child will receive from learning a second language are plentiful!

The world is your oyster

It's true. Almost everywhere you can travel to in this world has someone who can speak English. But how much wider is the scope for travel and exploration if you can speak another language besides? Twenty countries speak Spanish, and twenty-nine speak French, and these are just two of the languages you'll regularly find in any popularity list. You can change your travel experience from a good one to an amazing one filled with cherished memories by speaking to the locals of where you're travelling to in their own tongue. What better gift is there to give your child than that?