Six Reasons Your Child Should Learn a Second Language

by Daniel Kjaer

We all want our children to receive great educations and have the best chances of success in life. As they go through school, we try to push them to acquire as many skills as possible. One of the most important skills they can acquire is to learn a second language. If you’re not convinced, here are six great reasons for it.

To Improve their English Language Abilities

It has been proven that learning a second language actually helps a child improve their use of their native language. As your child learns a second language, they’ll develop a better understanding of language concepts, speech patterns, vocabulary, sentence construction, and more. They’ll become better at speaking, reading, and writing English. This will also lead to higher standardized test scores.
To Expand their Cultural Understanding

When your child learns a second language, they won’t just be learning how to speak words in a different tongue. They’ll also learn about the entire culture that goes with that language, and they’ll be exposed to different people and ways of life. Learning a second language will expand your child’s understanding and acceptance of other cultures, and this will serve them extremely well in our increasingly globalized society.
To Enhance their College Applications and Resumes

Children who speak a second language have an advantage when it comes time for them to apply for college. Their college applications will be more attractive to admissions boards, and ultimately this will improve their chances of getting accepted to their school of choice. Beyond that, knowing a second language will enhance their resumes when it comes time to find a job. Employers always value an employee’s knowledge of a second language, and it will give your child a definite leg up in their career.
To Improve All Cognitive Abilities

Besides improving their English language use, a second language will help improve all of your child’s cognitive abilities. Children who learn a second language also do better in all other subjects, including math and science. Learning a second language essentially improves their ability to learn and understand concepts, which will help them in all areas, and especially with problem-solving and reasoning.
To Boost their Self-Confidence

As your child learns a second language, their self-confidence will get a big boost. Learning a second language is a challenge and a great accomplishment, and it’s something that many other children do not do. Your child will become more confident in their capabilities, and they’ll feel great about themselves for acquiring such a cool and useful proficiency.
To Increase their Abilities to Communicate

It cannot be forgotten that one of the main benefits your child will experience from learning a second language is the ability to communicate with more people worldwide. If your child learns a second language that is spoken by many people in your region, for example, they’ll be able to develop relationships that might have been more difficult otherwise. As they get older and travel, their knowledge of a second language will give them an advantage when visiting countries where the language is spoken and even make their travels more enjoyable.

Photo Credit: achievebeyondusa

This post was written by Daniel Kjaer

Daniel Kjaer is a danish-born writer and linguistics expert who knows the rigors and benefits of learning alternate languages. He even had to enroll in accent reduction courses to perfect his English and he often encourages others to do the same.

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