Surprising Benefits of Bilingualism

03/07/2017

Surprising Benefits of Bilingualism

The least questioned assumptions are often the most questionable.
Stephen Covey, educator, author, businessman, 1932-3012

"Most young children throughout the world successfully learn more than one language beginning in their earliest years," Linda Espinosa reminds us in her article, “Benefits of Bilingualism/Multilingualism” in the Exchange Essentials Perspectives on Diversity.

"Many cognitive neuroscientists have concluded that the human brain is primed to learn language from birth and is actually hearing and processing the unique characteristics of different languages beginning in the last trimester of pregnancy.

"Current scientific research suggests that the development of two languages from a child’s earliest language exposure has specific impacts on a variety of cognitive abilities that are discernible as early as seven months of age. These enhanced cognitive and linguistic abilities are persistent throughout childhood and may even offer some protection from symptoms of Alzheimer’s in adulthood."

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