Bilingualism benefits

As Nelson Mandela once stated,”If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart”. In other words if you speak to people in their language you will connect more with others and get your point across more clearly. Although some people might say that being bilingual is bad and can cause cultural changes, I think that it has many advantages like medical benefits, career opportunities, and cultural experiences.

First of all, being bilingual has many medical benefits. According to BrainFit.com, being bilingual brings many benefits to the brain. Practicing the language gives your brain a workout, keeps your mind sharp, and is the most practical way to increase intelligence and improve cognitive skills. It also helps prevent or hold back dementia and other symptoms of alzheimer's. At first experts thought being bilingual was bad for the brain and could contribute to schizophrenia, but with technological advancements and recent studies, like the one conducted recently by the University of California that proved that speaking regularly two languages comes with certain types of improved mental performance,experts have concluded that these hypotheses are false and that bilingual skills make our brain stronger. Having bilingual skills improves the overall brain function and pursuance, just like lifting weights helps strengthen your physical muscles.

Secondly, being bilingual gives people more opportunities. The key to a global economy, which we have nowadays because businesses can work with anyone around the world with the click of a button, is communication because companies are now expanding internationally. So when you apply for a job, if you have bilingual skills, you have a higher chance of receiving the job than those who don't have those skills. As claimed by the language instruction program Rosetta Stone, those who can speak more than one language have an average annual house income that's $10,000 more higher than those who do not know any foreign language skills. It also gives you a better advantage when applying to colleges because certain colleges, like College of Charleston, require its students to have at least taken 3 foreign language classes. Having bilingual skills gives you a upper hand when applying for a job or college because communication skills have a big impact on today’s globalized society.

Thirdly, being able to speak more than one language can also provide cultural experiences. As mentioned by the quote in the first paragraph, if you talk to someone in their own language they will feel a bigger connection with you and will understand more what you are trying to get across. Knowing another language is like knowing another culture, and by knowing that culture you can see the world in a whole new different way. In the past, before the 1800s when countries traded goods and products, the Chinese chose to be trading partners with the Dutch instead of the British because the Dutch respected and honored their culture and rules. As shown by the past in history, when you respect and understand a culture and its laws, which can be shown by learning their language, you have a greater chance of them understanding and respecting you.

Despite the numerous arguments that being bilingual has more positive prominences than not being, some experts and scientist believe the contrary. They believe that when a person is bilingual, they have a tendency of mixing up words, making up words, or being the target of discrimination. All of their arguments are true and valid, but just because someone speaks another language doesn't mean they will be discriminated for it. Discrimination often occurs for various reasons, it may be the color of their skin or the way they talk but it is not always about the language they speak. Also, some people believe that you speak whatever language is most dominant in your area. For example, since most people from India speak English, some argue that it is thus pointless for people from America to learn Hindi, the language spoken in India. Fear of discrimination and belief in assimilation, however, are weak reasons to remain monolingual.

Although some people feel like being bilingual is bad and confuses people, it's many benefits exceed all the disadvantages in bilingualism. With today's society becoming more diverse, and half of the world's population being bilingual, it is important to understand the people and cultures around you. After all, as stated by Ludwig Wittgenstein,”The limits to my language are my limits of my world”.

As a bilingual student,who speaks and writes both Spanish and English, I feel like the ability to speak and write a different language puts me at a higher advantage than the people around me. When I was younger, I would teach others English, translate for my parents in doctor appointments and in classrooms for students who didn't speak English. My skill has helped me improve and make a difference in the lives of people the around me.