of language and a greater cognitive
flexibility make multilingualism an
undeniable advantage in all areas of
academic life.
Linguistic advantages
Multilingual children also have a
deeper or more intuitive awareness
of language. In a research paper
in 1981, the author (Cummins)
explained, ‘Foreign language
learning enhances children’s
understanding of how language itself
works and their ability to manipulate
language in the service of thinking
and problem solving”. Parents are
often amazed that learning another
language will help their children to
improve in proficiency with their
native language. In the long term,
multilingual children develop a
greater vocabulary, have a better
ear for listening to other languages
and develop sharper memories.
They use strategies they might not
even be aware of to learn additional
languages, and it is easier and faster
for them to pick up new languages.
In our family, our children already
spoke English, French and Indonesian
when we moved to Mexico. They
attended a local bilingual school
and within two months they were
capable of following the programme
in Spanish. A year later, we moved to
Nicaragua where we spend most of
the year, and recently I overheard our
new neighbour asking my children if
they were from Costa Rica! No need
to say that, as a mum, I feel so proud
of them.
Social and emotional advantages
Knowing more than one language
helps children feel at ease in different
environments, in the company of a
variety of people. Multilingualism
gives a natural flexibility and
adaptability.
According to researcher Vivian
Cook in a 2001 paper, “A person
who speaks multiple languages has
a stereoscopic vision of the world
from two or more perspectives,
enabling them to be more flexible in
their thinking and to learn reading
more easily. Multilingual people,
therefore, are not restricted to a single
world view, but also have a better
understanding that other outlooks are
possible. Indeed, this has always been
seen as one of the main educational
advantages of language teaching.”
If the language you share with
your children is different from the
language of the community you live
in, you probably feel emotionally
closer when speaking your native
language to them. It has been found
too that multilingual people convey
emotions better and tend to have a
stronger sense of self-worth and self-
understanding. Through language
our children gain a sense of identity,
leading to more self-confidence and
self-reliance.
The cultural advantage
How priceless is it to have children
naturally capable of appreciating
other cultures and accepting cultural
differences? Multilinguals are required
to be insiders and outsiders in two
or more cultures, and they have an
amazing ability to switch from one
language to another and jump from
one culture to another. They tend
to understand, appreciate and be
more tolerant with people of other
countries. They can reflect, compare,
contrast and understand cultural
concepts, even if they are not always
aware of it when they are young.
Children of immigrant
backgrounds are more likely to show
an interest in their heritage and
culture if they are raised speaking
the language. In our increasingly
globalised world, it is vital that our
children learn to deal comfortably
with multicultural experiences.
Speaking various languages is a
powerful skill that gives multilingual
children a clear head start on many
different levels. For a parent, raising
a child with more than one language
can be a time-consuming challenge,
but it is an investment that both you
and your children will never regret.
Supporting this process is the best gift
parents could give their children.
Laetitia Chanéac-Knight is a writer and
the editor of the family guidebook Bali with
Kids
). She has a
masters in applied linguistics and was a
language teacher for many years, and is now
bringing up her two children using English,
French, Spanish and Indonesian.
April 2015
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