Term Paper

hOW DO CHILDREN BENEFIT FROM BILINGUAL EDUCATION?

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How do children benefit from bilingual education?

Eilin Álvarez Silva Marianela Araya Jilliam Flores Mayorga Josselin Montero Faculty of Education, Universidad Latina de Costa Rica Investigación Educativa José Antonio Araya Godínez April 23 th, 2022

2 Title: How do children benefit from bilingual education?

At the times of globalization, this question is undoubtedly relevant. There are more and more advocates for bilingual education. Studies have shown that kids who study two or more languages have better cognitive abilities and overall academic achievement.

Objectives: Analyze the benefits children gain from bilingual education.

Specific Objective To establish the benefits of learning in bilingual education.

To determine the effectiveness of bilingual education in children.

Abstract: The following paper shows the importance and benefits students have when they study bilingual education. Some outstanding benefits are in the academic, cognitive, and social areas of the student. This research is important because it shows the reality of learning two languages at the same time and how essential it is for the brain to learn a new language. The conclusion is that the benefits are enormous for the students in their professional future.

Introduction: Therefore, it is important to know the three main areas in which children benefit from bilingual education, which are academic, cognitive, and social.

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Body: What are the academic benefits of bilingual education?

Problem-solving ability in the academic area Multitasking ability in the academic area Creativity ability in the academic area What are the cognitive benefits of bilingual education?

Brain exercise ability Linguistic intelligence ability Flexible thinking What are the cognitive benefits of bilingual education?

Self-confidence / identity ability Better communication ability Open-mindedness ability Results: The advantages of knowing a second language in the midst of a globalized world are significant for a successful future.

Learning a new language can help to avoid brain diseases like Alzheimer or dementia.

Bilingual education in the 21st century is important because of technology and globalization.

Discussion: Taking these aspects into consideration, do you think it is important that all institutions offer free bilingual education?

4 How do children benefit from bilingual education?

Bilingual education has different objectives, outcomes, and situations that cause children's experiences to be different in each country. With the migration that has been taking place around the world for many years, bilingual education has become imperative. An important question must be answered: what is bilingual education? according to Bialystok (2016) “bilingual education is an umbrella terms that encompasses a range of education programs that have been designed for an even wider range of children and a host of special circumstances”. In other words, bilingual education is not just learning a new language, it is more than that, bilingual education is education in which the content of instruction is taught in two languages, a clear example is if children must learn science, they must do it in their mother tongue and in another language, this method allows the students to feel more identified with the new language.

In addition, the purpose of bilingual education in children is to expose them to a new language in a comprehensive way, fathers often choose this type of education when there are parents of different nationalities when the family is going to live in another country, and they want the children to learn the language of the country or when parents want their children to have a new language as a tool for the future. Furthermore, this type of education is applied in some countries for two main purposes, the first is assimilationist, which aims to introduce the speaker of the minority language into the majority language, those students who know little of the surrounding language begin to learn until they are able to speak in the new language and eliminate their mother tongue. The second model is pluralistic, which seeks to eradicate negative social attitudes towards the minority language, what it seeks is that languages are accepted even if it is not the one that predominates in the place and that these people are respected. Both have a specific objective, but it is important to keep in mind that the people who participate in this program have their own objectives (Roberts, 1995).

On the other hand, bilingual education has many advantages in the 21st century.

Nowadays, with the arrival of globalization, the interconnection between people is becoming essential, and knowing different languages can become essential to excel and succeed. Therefore, it is important to know the three main areas in which children benefit from bilingual education, which are academic, cognitive, and social.

5 The first field of benefit for children being bilingual is academic learning. Education is one of the most important stages in personal life, every child has to be involved in the learning process. A person who is academically successful has more and better opportunities than those who do not have the same education. For that reason, it is essential that parents look for the best education for the younger people because a good education gives learners some advantages in their future. Therefore, it is crucial that parents consider one of the main aspects of children’s education, that is learning a foreign language. It is demonstrated that people who learn a second or more language at a young age have an improvement in academic learning. Also, it is important for parents to take into account that the age for learning a language is essential; because it is easier for kids to acquire a language and have a better pronunciation of it than a person who starts the process in adolescence or in the adult period. In general, people that learn a second language since childhood have better academic learning opportunities in life; children that are exposed to a second language, develop some intellectual skills. For example, problem-solving, multitasking, and creativity are some areas that kids develop when they learn a second language.

One of the skills that the child develops when studying a second is problem-solving.

Being a solver problem consist of having a list of different skills, and people start to develop them from kids in order to become successful person, employee, or employer. Problem-solving is considered a soft skill and also a personal strength that people learn through education and reinforce with training. It helps people in every area of their life, such as social life, family life, education, and work. Some researchers have shown that kids that speak more languages develop this skill during the learning process. As the professional state “bilingual children outperform children who speak only one language in problem-solving skills and creative thinking, according to a new study” (BBC, 2012). Experts confirm bilingual kids can do much better different things regarding academic tasks. It means that people who are exposed to a more language since childhood learn and develop the soft skill of problem-solving. Learning a foreign language is an excellent way of exercising children’s brain and developing all the capacities it has. To finish, promoting a child in the education of a second language helps the pupil to improve her or his academic learning process in terms of the skill of solving a problem.

Also, the implementation of a foreign language build in kids’ brain the ability to develop multitasking skill “learning multiple languages forces the brain to quickly switch from one

6 language to another…As a result, the brain gets used to quick response and shorter reaction time” (Gupta, 2021). She states that children can respond by spending less time than monolingual children can take. For example, a kid who makes a drawing can also speak and also paint his drawing in a very good way, without getting overwhelmed by doing many things within a little time. In short, knowing more than one language development in kids’ brain the ability to do many things at the same time.

Besides, implementing a foreign language in the student’s curriculum, it is going to increase their creativity as a consequence of it “studies have also repeatedly shown that foreign language learning increases critical thinking skills, creativity and flexibility of mind” (Trautner, 2019).

This expert state that there are many studies that show creativity as one benefit of being a bilingual child. It is possible because their knowledge of other cultures and languages helps them to create more ideas to solve any situation or to perform something. It is well known that children who learn a second language boost their creativity as a skill.

The second field in which the student benefits from being exposed to another language is the cognitive field. Being a bilingual kid or developing second and more languages from an early age, helps individuals to improve their strong cognitive ability. Fernandez writes that “previous studies of bilingual children have indicated that they demonstrate a faster rate of development in specific areas of cognitive functioning than their monolingual peers” (Fernandez, 2007). This means that a bilingual child who tends to be superior in these areas is due to “executive function”, which is what allows us to process information. Individuals who speak multiple languages generally process information across all of the languages in which they speak. This results in the brain being more active for longer periods of time, thus increasing executive function, allowing language learners to process a greater volume of information. With modern research, there's even more information on the precise impact learning a second language has on the brain, including the cognitive impact on the brain and therefore the long-term benefits of learning generally in children.

The first benefit that the student acquires in the cognitive area is brain exercise. The brain is a muscle that every person has in their head, the only difference between people is that some of them exercise it and some do not. Some researchers have shown that learning a second language

7 at an early age is easier because of the adaptability process that the brain experiment. The bilingual brain works by using more parts to understand stimuli in different ways. Moreover, this brain exercise can delay diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia for at least five years. By learning a foreign language people are not only preparing themselves professionally; they are working also protecting themselves from future brain illnesses because people’s brain works differently than a person who only speaks one language. To finish, kids that develop a second language at an early age exercise the brain and keep it safe from future illnesses.

When children acquire a second language, they are considered to be talented in verbal abilities. Since childhood, people listen and observe the relationship sounds have with their meaning. Currently, verbal, and linguistic skills are constantly evaluated in schools. However, few people know about the possibility of its stimulation and also its development. It will be discussing what verbal-linguistic intelligence is and how we can develop it during the course of our lives. Linguistic intelligence must be reinforced since the child and the acquisition of a new language activate this skill. Children who speak more than one language develop de linguistic intelligence and have the ability to communicate in two different languages by listening, speaking, reading, and writing. In short, linguistic intelligence must be developed from an early age, and learning more languages help kids to maintain constant stimulation in this area.

Another benefit that children acquire when they learn a second language is linguistic intelligence. Learning a second language can open a different area of a kid’s brain and better concentration and memorization are some of them. However, these benefits may arise from the need for bilingual speakers to juggle two languages at once and the need to switch between them.

Bilingual children concentrate better, ignoring extraneous stimuli more effectively than those who only speak one language. Learning a second language from an early age stimulate kids’ brain and at the same time is developing the cognitive skill of concentration and memorization who is demanded in human life. In conclusion, the implementation of the second language in kids’ learning process, stimulates students in order to have better concentration and memorization and classes and as well as for the life.

The third field that benefits bilingual education is social. When children acquire a second language, they increase their interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence. In addition, people are social beings from birth, but the difference between them is that some develop this capacity from

8 the academic process and reinforce social skills by learning a foreign language. This helps to develop the different social skills needed to interact in society.

As a good social effect, bilingual children get self-confidence, helping them to trust in their capability for overcoming tasks and their self-value. The theory says that self-confidence is an attitude about skills and abilities. By implementing a second language in kids’ life, they are going to learn how to accept and trust in themselves and have a sense of control over their life.

Though, they are going to know better their strengths and weakness and construct a positive view of themselves. Bilingual proficiency at early age should produce a more favorable attitude in children’s environment and develop self-confidence skills in the language process. As a result of bilingualism in children, they can improve confidence and trust in their abilities as a human and develop strong self-esteem.

Another social benefit that kids can receive from learning a second language is the communication skill between people. Besides, boys and girls who speak a second language are able to have better communication with more people than non-bilingual children. “speaking a second or third language opens up a whole new world out there to enhance your social skills”.

(Gupta, 2021). According to this expert, bilingual children develop their interpersonal intelligence to socialize better with others. Because they can understand people who talk to them in a second language. It can help them even to strengthen their relationship with their family who talk only one of the two languages. To finish, the exposure of children to a second language develops in them the social ability to communicate in an assertive way with the people around them.

Furthermore, there are some researchers that affirm that bilingual children are more open mind. It means they are more comprehensible with others because they develop more capacity to understand the different situations, cultures, and ideas people have. “multilingual kids are more open-minded and adaptable because you have already exposed them to a different level of tolerance”. (Gupta, 2021). These professional remarks that children who speak more than one language are able to be tolerant with people because they have learned this through their exposition to different cultures and ideologies. Learning a new language does not only involve speaking and listening well, but that is also communicating with others. Learning a new language is linked to the understanding of its culture, people, music, and religion, among other things that

9 create in the child a new vision of the things and realities that he/she will face in the future. This creates in children an open mind that is exposed to new changes. Finally, bilingualism and openmindedness are linked and create a world full of new experiences.

As a result, the above research concludes that the benefits of bilingual education are enormous. The advantages of knowing a second language in the midst of a globalized world are significant for a successful future. Something important outstanding is that children learn better a second language and its pronunciation than adolescents and adults; for this reason, it is important that parents enroll their children to learn a new language at a young age. There are some benefits for children that are part of bilingual education such as problem-solving, multitasking, and creativity, these areas will help students develop successfully in areas such as personal, family and work. In addition, learning a second language can help students strengthen their cognitive abilities. This means that students can better analyze and understand information as a result of an active brain, and it also helps to process a large volume of information.

Furthermore, learning a new language can help to avoid brain diseases like Alzheimer or dementia, which is why it is imperative to protect the brain by learning a new language. In addition, children who study in both the mother tongue and the new language develop excellent language skills and have the ability to communicate well in all four skills. Kids who are enrolled in a bilingual education generate a better concentration and memorization in class as well for their life, also children increase their intelligence, can interact easier with others, get selfconfidence and analyze positive and negative aspects of their life and build a better version of themselves. This research shows that children who study in a bilingual education not only receive social benefits from learning a new language, but they can also obtain cognitive and health benefits.

Furthermore, each point reaffirms the importance of bilingual education in the 21st century, when technology and globalization push students to succeed through learning a new language. The importance to communicate with others is huge, nowadays it is necessary that students have the capacity to understand a culture, people, music, religion, and other things that can help them in the development of their own vision of the world. However, the only way to accomplish this is through learning a new language. Although there are different objectives related to bilingual learning, such as adapting to a new country or eliminating the mother tongue,

10 it has been concluded that the benefits are greater than those initially analyzed. Therefore, the result is that children who learn in bilingual education do it in a comprehensive manner.

In summary, this work presents the importance of bilingual education and the benefits that it produces in students. It is important to mention that one of the factors that have influenced the emergence of bilingual education is migration since this action has been going on for a long time and parents, have seen the need to expose their children to a new language. The goal of bilingual education is to engage children in a language other than the one they know. There are several reasons why parents decide to send their children to institutions to learn a second language, and one of them is that their children acquire a tool for the future. On the other hand, globalization and interconnection are taking a vital space in this new era, therefore, bilingual education has become a necessity. On the other hand, bilingual education offers benefits to students in three different fields, such as academic, cognitive, and social. First of all, learning a second language helps students in the academic field, since these people will have better and greater opportunities in the future, as well as being able to develop skills such as problem-solving, multitasking, and creativity. Second, bilingual students have advantages in the cognitive field, resulting in their brain being more active for longer periods of time, resulting in children being able to process a larger amount of information, in short, students gain benefits in aspects such as brain exercise, linguistic intelligence, and flexible thinking. The third field is social, when children acquire another language, they have several advantages because it helps them increase their personal relationships and their intrapersonal intelligence, in addition, this causes students to develop different skills such as self-confidence, communication, and open-mindedness.

This research provides a significant overview of the role that bilingual education plays in the lives of students and the positive impact it has on them. In conclusion, currently, the world is going to change due to globalization, bilingual education is a tool that offers children many benefits for their personal and professional life. Parents could think about all these advantages and try to give their children the opportunity to learn a second language, keeping in mind that the younger the children, the easier it will be for them to acquire it. Bilingual education benefits children in the academic, cognitive, and social areas. Taking these aspects into consideration, do you think it is important that all institutions offer free bilingual education?

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References BBC (August 3rd, 2012). Bilingual children 'better at problem-solving skills'. BBC. News. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-19109883#:~:text=Bilingual%20children %20outperform%20children%20who,in%20Scotland%20and%20Sardinia%2C%20Italy.

Bialystok, E. (2016). Bilingual education for young children: review of the effects and consequences.US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6168086/ Fernandez, S. (2007, Jenuary Thursday). The Research Unit for Multilingualism and Cross-cultural Communication. Retrieved from PROMOTING THE BENEFITS OF LANGUAGE LEARNING . https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/school/teachers/teachingresources/ discipline/languages/benefitslangu.pdf Gupta, N. (July 20th, 2021). 10 Childhood Benefits Of Being Bilingual. Benefits of Being Bilingual from a Young Age. Multicultural Kids Blogs. https://multiculturalkidblogs.com/2021/07/12/10childhood-benefits-of-being-bilingual/ Roberts, C. (1995). Bilingual Education Programs Models: A Framework for Understanding. https://ncela.ed.gov/files/rcd/BE021127/Bilingual_Education_Program.pdf Trautner, T. (January 28th, 2019). Advantages of a bilingual brain. Teaching young children a second language is beneficial in many ways. MSU Extension Early Childhood Development. Michigan State University. https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/advantages_of_a_bilingual_brain

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What is bilingual education?

Bilingual education is the education in which the content of instruction is taught in two languages.

The purpose 1

Assimilationist

2

Pluralistic

1 Problemsolving

2 Multitasking

3 Creativity

ACADEMIC BENEFITS

Problemsolving

ACADEMIC BENEFITS

Multitasking

ACADEMIC BENEFITS

Creativity

ACADEMIC BENEFITS

COGNITIVE BENEFITS

COGNITIVE BENEFITS Brain exercise

2

It´s a tale

3

Better concentation

1

Linguistic intelligence

COGNITIVE BENEFITS 1

Brain exercise

1. The brain is a muscle 2. Alzheimer’s And Dementia .

3. Brain Works Differently

COGNITIVE BENEFITS 2

Stimulation

Linguistic intelligence

COGNITIVE BENEFITS 3

Better concentation

he T m o r F e s i r A 1. l a u g n i l i B r o F Need Speakers 2. Children r e t t e B e t a r t Concen

SOCIAL BENEFITS 1

Self-confidence

2

Better communication

3 Open midnedness

SOCIAL BENEFITS 1

Self-confidence

SOCIAL BENEFITS 2

Better communication

SOCIAL BENEFITS 3

Open midnedness

RESULTS Problem-solving, multitasking, and creativity.

Learners obtain cognitive and health benefits.

Better concentration and memorization in class

DISCUSSION Summary Conclusion Question

DISCUSSION Summary

Benefits from bilingual education Academic

Cognitive

Social

DISCUSSION Conclusion Globalization

Benefits

Parents

DISCUSSION Question

Do you think it is important that all institutions offer free bilingual education?