What are the benefits of learning another language? Most people think of practical reasons, like the fact that Spanish is the second most common native language in the world (and in the United States), or that knowing another language may help you when you travel or look for a job. While these are all true, the language-learning process is a great workout for many parts of the brain, which leads to many other benefits, from improved executive functioning and analytical thinking to increased empathy and creativity. When we use our brain for one activity (like learning another language), the parts we use become stronger in general, which help them perform better with other tasks that use that same area. For this reason, students who learn a second (or third!) language show improvement in other academic subjects like reading and math as well as a variety of other skills. In fact, studies of bilinguals show that they may delay the onset of diseases such as Alzheimer's and dementia for an average five years, giving bilinguals a longer expected lifespan than their monolingual peers! Read more about these studies here and here.
For more information and links to some current research on the benefits of learning a second language, check out this article summarizing some of the key research on this topic: 15 Reasons for Kids to Learn a Foreign Language.
For more information and links to some current research on the benefits of learning a second language, check out this article summarizing some of the key research on this topic: 15 Reasons for Kids to Learn a Foreign Language.