How being bilingual benefits children

FALLBROOK – Bilingualism has long been advantageous to adults who like to travel. An ability to speak a foreign language fluently can ease travelers' concerns when visiting a new country, and it also can help professionals advance their careers and expand their networks. But the benefits of bilingualism aren't exclusive to adults.

According to Waterford.org, a 501(c)(3) organization that seeks to blend aspects of learning science, mentoring relationships and innovative technology to help learners, bilingualism benefits students in myriad ways.

¥ Bilingualism is advantageous to emergent readers. Waterford.org reports that bilingualism has long suffered from a misconception that knowing two languages makes learning to read difficult. However, a 2012 article in Cerebrum Magazine noted that bilingual students develop metalinguistic skills at an earlier age than most other children.

Metalinguistics is the understanding of the structure of a language on both a verbal and written level. Waterford.org notes that linguists believe bilingual kids' exposure to multiple languages at a young age sharpens their ability to pick up on word structure, thus helping them develop the tools necessary to learn to read faster than their monolingual peers.

¥ Bilingualism improves children's vocabulary. A 2014 study published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology found that bilingual children have a higher vocabulary range than monolingual children. Because of that heightened familiarity with words, spelling and learning the alphabet comes more naturally to bilingual youngsters.

¥ Bilingualism may improve attention spans and working memories. A 2010 review published in the journal Review of Educational Research found that bilingual students usually have stronger working memories and attention spans than monolingual students. Working memory is an executive function of the brain that holds new information in place so the brain can work with it and ultimately connect it with other information. A strong working memory is a significant advantage for students, as is a longer attention span.

¥ Bilingualism affects students' self-discipline and perseverance. Self-discipline and an ability to persevere can benefit students as they learn to study and work to understand potentially complex subjects. A 2011 study published in the Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology found that bilingual students outperformed their monolingual counterparts on tasks that required self-discipline, perseverance and other skills.

Long thought to adversely affect young students learning to read, bilingualism has since been shown to do just the opposite. That's just one of the many ways in which fluency in two or more languages benefits students.