It is becoming increasingly clear that speaking two or more languages represents an advantage on many levels.
Today it is known that not only is this not true, but that speaking more than one language has many surprising benefits. Being bilingual has cognitive, social and professional advantages, and more and more monolinguals are deciding to stop being so .
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The 12 benefits of being bilingual that you had not considered
Bilingual people are those who speak two languages fluently. This can be due to different reasons. The most common is that they have grown up in a territory in which there are two official languages, but there are also other causes. For example, that one of their parents has taught them from a young age a language that is not the local one.
The good thing is that there are bilingual people who have learned another language as adults . As ambitious as it may seem, we all have the ability to learn a new language. This represents a personal challenge with many benefits, as being bilingual has cognitive, social, personal and professional benefits.
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1. Better working memory
It has been scientifically proven that the impact of bilingualism on cognitive abilities is generally positive . Contrary to what was once thought, bilingualism is capable of not only giving the person the opportunity to express themselves in two different languages, but also keeps the brain more active and alert. Bilinguals are able to use working memory faster and more effectively.
2. Greater ability to concentrate
Generally, bilingual people show a greater ability to concentrate than those who are monolingual . Basically it is a greater ability to focus on the relevant stimuli of a task, being able to focus on the important information. This means that they discriminate better and eliminate relevant stimuli, which in turn results in fewer distractions.
3. More multitasking ability
Bilinguals generally have a better ability to switch tasks . They are experts in switching between two systems, both in terms of written and oral language. This represents a very important exercise in terms of having to change and work with two different structures, which makes them very good at having to perform in multitasking situations.
4. Higher concentration of gray matter
Studies reveal that bilinguals have more gray matter . By gray matter it is mainly composed of the bodies of neurons, that is, the brain production centers. It is responsible for processing language, storing memory, and dictating attention span. Bilingual individuals have denser gray matter compared to monolinguals as judged by studies in brain macroanatomy.
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5. Improve memory
Learning a new language certainly turns out to be an excellent memory exercise . Understanding a new code like a foreign language involves memorizing rules and vocabulary, which strengthens the “mental muscle”. These mental exercises improve general memory, making bilinguals generally better at remembering lists and sequences.
6. Better decision making
Scientific studies show that bilinguals tend to make better decisions . Bilinguals have more certainty about their choices, and in fact it has been seen that they are more rational when they use their second language, since the first is more linked to emotions. In any case, bilingual speakers tend to make more reasonable decisions.
7. More awareness of language.
Another of the cognitive advantages of speaking more than one language is that one is more aware of one’s own language . It is because they better understand the way the language works objectively both in grammar and in general structure. When learning a foreign language, the study often focuses on grammar, but it is also due to its ability to dissociate the meaning from the signifier.
8. Better communication skills
Bilingual speakers are more effective communicators, editors, and writers . It has also been shown that bilingual speakers are much more aware of when it is necessary to give feedback to their interlocutor. Their ability to understand the phatic functions of language seems to be greater.
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9. More cognitive reserve
This is one of the most amazing benefits of being bilingual. People who speak more than one language fluently have been shown to have more cognitive reserve . When neurodegeneration occurs due to normative aging or dementia, it is observed that, despite the fact that anatomically the brain structures have suffered regression, in practice bilingual people express fewer functional problems.
10. You can communicate with more people
When you travel or if there is a foreigner in your country you can take advantage of your second language . Is not it wonderful? Especially if you learn an international language you will be able to take advantage of your second language in different countries of the world. As we know, English is the universal language, and that is why everyone is very interested in learning it, but we can also learn French, Russian, Portuguese, Arabic, etc.
11. You can open your mind
Having the ability to communicate with people who have grown up in other countries is an incredible experience . Being in other countries and talking to these people allows you to compare their views with your own. Each person, by the fact of having lived in a country, tends to understand that certain things are “normal”. When you speak and you are in other places you realize that it does not always have to be like this.
12. It gives you job opportunities
There is no doubt that speaking languages opens doors on a professional level . Today there are many sectors in which speaking two or more languages is highly valued, especially if it is English. But even if we speak languages like Polish or Romanian, with less international presence, there will be certain sectors where they will need people who speak these languages since today there are interactions with all countries.
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Bibliographic references
- Gawinkowska, M., Paradowski, M.B. y Bilewicz, M. (2013). Second language as an exemptor from sociocultural norms. Emotion-Related Language Choice revisited. PLoS ONE. 8 (12), e8122.
- Kaushanskaya,M. y Marian, V. (2009). The bilingual advantage in novel word learning. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 16 (4), 705–710.
- Paradowski, M.B. y Bator, A. (2016). Perceived effectiveness of language acquisition in the process of multilingual upbringing by parents of different nationalities. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 21 (6), 647-665.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.
