If you’ve ever thought about getting your grade-schooler into a foreign-language program, consider this: If your child speaks more than one language, he or she is more likely to be adept at learning additional foreign languages, says a new study from Northwestern University. Researchers worked with a group of bilingual speakers who learned a second language when they were young children. They tested the bilingual speakers’ ability to learn a new language by having them learn words of a made-up language. They found that people who were bilingual were able to master almost twice as many words as people who only spoke one language. The researchers believe that people who learn a second language can use the skills they gained in learning another language and apply them to learning additional languages.
And if your household is already bilingual (according to the U.S. Census Bureau, about one out of five households speaks a language other than English at home), then your kids are already primed for learning even more languages. In today’s multicultural, globally-connected world, foreign-language skills will continue to become important. So if your child’s school doesn’t offer a foreign language class, talk to them about incorporating one into the curriculum. If that’s not an option, see if you can start an after-school program. Many communities also offer weekend foreign language classes for children. And if you study a new language along with your child, you can have fun learning and doing something new together.
Is your child bilingual? If not, do you plan to have him or her learn another language?
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