Why learn a second language?

 

The benefits of learning a second language 

Everyone speaks English, right? Well, certainly not everyone speaks English. According to the CIA World Fact Book, only 5.6 % of the world's total population speaks English as a primary language. That number doubles when people who speak English as a second or third language are counted. By conservative estimates, that means well over four-fifths of the world's population does not speak English.

It's true that English has become a global lingua franca over the past several decades. Yet the attitude that English alone is enough can create self-imposed limitations. To become bilingual or multilingual is to enhance your communication and thinking skills and give yourself a full appreciation and understanding of the world in which you live.

Learning another language opens up new opportunities and gives you perspectives that you might never have encountered otherwise.

http://www.vistawide.com/languages/why_languages.htm 

Why learn a second language from a young age?

Young children are uniquely suited to learning a second language. The developing brain is hard-wired to acquire language. There will never be another time when it will be so easy and natural! Learning a second language allows young learners to optimize their potential, and shape the brain at its most flexible stage.

While some parents worry that starting their toddler on a second language will interfere with developing English skills, the opposite is actually true. Children can differentiate between two languages within the first weeks of life. "Learning another language actually enhances a child's overall verbal development," says Roberta Michnick Golinkoff Ph.D., author of How Babies Talk.

Research also shows that children who study foreign language have higher cognitive performance in overall basic skills in primary school. They exhibit better problem-solving skills, enhanced spatial relations, and heightened creativity. Learning a second language early on encourages flexible thinking and communication skills, helping children consider issues from more than one perspective.

Additionally, research shows that multilinguals have enhanced memory, planning, and multi-tasking skills. When learning multiple languages young, the brain is trained to attend to salient information and to disregard non-pertinent information, a skill that later supports better focus, memory, planning and multitasking abilities. Research shows that multilinguals use more of their brains than monolinguals and outperform monolinguals on creativity tests.

http://www.languagestars.com/program-overview/programs/parents-and-tots/14-programs/curriculum/66-the-benefits-of-learning-language-young.html