Our brains are like computers with countless programs that help us navigate the various aspects of life through all ages. However, just like computers, as they age, they can become less efficient when it comes to retaining new things. Although learning a second language can be done at any age, this is one reason why children are best suited for it.
When it comes to learning Spanish, here are a few additional reasons why your child will benefit from learning a second language.
Strengthen Muscles
Not body muscles but the muscle we know as the brain. And - as with any muscle - the more we use it, the stronger it gets. Specifically, the frontal lobe of the brain is where the Broca and Wernicke areas are.
The Broca region of the frontal lobe is commonly understood as the part of the brain responsible for the movement aspects of speech such as the palate, tongue, and mouth. The Wernicke region assists in comprehension of new languages and sounds, among other things.
Together, these two regions of the frontal lobe are vitally important to learning a second language and the sooner we begin exercising these (or any parts) of the brain, the stronger they will be.
Additionally, children of younger ages (before age six) are able to learn new languages quicker than older individuals. There are a number of reasons for this.
They don't fear mistakes
Children are less likely to be embarrassed when they make a mistake while learning than adults are. They're not as self-critical and are able to learn from these mistakes rather than demean themselves or give up.
They are not linguistically programmed
In the Japanese language, there is no "L" sound and this is why many native Japanese speakers are not able to pronounce it (they pronounce "L" as "R"). Similarly, studies show that young Japanese Americans were able to develop the skills to pronounce the "L" sound with the use of immersion while older subjects were not. Their brains were hard-wired to the point where they could not unlearn what they had been taught.
They retain things faster
Babies and children's brains form neural and synaptic connections much quicker and UNICEF experts report this not only helps them with learning as children, but helps to "form the basis of a person's lifelong capacity to learn, adapt to change, have resilience in case of unexpected circumstances, as well physical and mental health."
Cultural Opportunities
The right teaching methods can help children not only learn Spanish but also help them understand cultures. In fact, research shows that understanding a different culture augments the teaching of the language. With Spanish-speaking communities all over the world, having the ability to speak the language affords students the opportunity to experience the Spanish culture right in their own communities without concern over miscommunication or misunderstanding.
It also allows them the opportunity to make friends with children from Spanish-speaking families who may not otherwise be able to connect with other children or students.
Travel Opportunities
There are 20 nations with Spanish as the official language (and Puerto Rico) but your child doesn't need to go to Argentina or Columbia to find it beneficial to speak the language. Spanish is the second most popular language in the world, spoken by more than 570 million people and experts suggest the number of Spanish speakers in the U.S. will surpass the number that speak it in Spain!
Wherever your child goes, they will have the comfort of knowing they can speak the language of where they are.
Boosts Confidence
Everyone has experienced at least one moment when they felt they did not fit in. Whether in the boardroom, at the office, with the in-laws, or at school. These experiences can wreak havoc on our confidence levels but when we understand what is needed and/or expected, we are better able to feel confident that we can handle the situation.
The same can be said for children who are attending school or activities with Spanish-speaking peers. Fitting in at school is often a challenge. When a child can merge themselves into a crowd of foreign language speakers and be able to speak their language, this not only boosts their confidence because they can relate to them, but also because others can see their capabilities.
Another bonus? The Spanish-speaking peers can learn from your child and your child can learn more from them.
Career Advantages
It's no secret that having a resume stuffed with additional training and certifications on top of your specialty can boost you to the top of applicants but experts say that being able to put "bilingual" on your resume has multiple benefits. In fact, companies who demand bilingual workers has doubled in the past five years and some of today's largest employers such as Bank of America, H&R Block, and Humana are among them.
Additionally, today's workforce is different than those in the past. Remote work is increasing allowing individuals to work from anywhere in the world for anyone in the world - including Spanish-speaking companies. In the global workforce, over half of companies report they are using flexible workers and that "dynamic" teams (ie, teams made up of different cultures) are becoming the norm and experts predict this trend will continue to increase.
What this means is bilingual children who speak Spanish and grow up to go into the global workforce, will have far more opportunities to work for companies overseas without ever having to leave their homes.
Increases Ability to Learn More Languages
Many Spanish words have similarities to other languages, including - but not limited to - English and Italian because of their Latin roots. For example, the word "Love" is rooted in the Latin word "amare." In Spanish, it is "Amo" and in Italian it is "Amore" and in French, it's "Amour."
Learning Spanish is a start to learning many Latin commonalities the language has with other languages so that even if they don't know the full language of Italian, they might be able to gleen a little bit just based on the similarities with Spanish.
Additionally, researchers have found that students who learned a first language were better able to learn third and even fourth languages. If being bilingual looks good on a resume, imagine the career benefits of being trilingual or quadrilingual.
We believe in the many benefits that come from learning a second language and we believe the sooner the better. We invite you to contact us today to find out more about our specialized language training program.
Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash