Learning a second language could make all the difference for your child. If you knew that making just one decision early on in their life would drastically increase their chances of happiness and success later on, why wouldn’t you do it? It turns out knowing more than one language helps in pretty much all aspects of life, including social, emotional, health, economic, and financial contexts.
Social life will improve
Language can sometimes be a barrier, but if your child speaks multiple languages, they’ll be better able to connect with people who come from different cultures. Knowing someone’s native language will allow for deeper connections. Who knows, maybe they’ll help someone translate something and end up stumbling into a friendship. Beyond that, soft skills such as communication and problem-solving that are difficult to pick up will come much easier with two or more languages under their belt.
Improve chances of success
Employers will often hire someone who speaks multiple languages over someone who doesn’t. It’s a skill that makes them stand out and shows their interest in the world around them. Teaching your child a second language when they’re young could give them a leg up in life and improve their job prospects. With today’s economy, your child will likely be very thankful you did all you could to help with their course in life. Whether they have a career in translating, business, nursing, or something else entirely, knowing multiple languages can only help their chances of landing a great job.
Gain perspective
It’s easy to fall into the trap that everyone sees the world just as you do. Luckily, there are multiple ways to appease that, one of which is learning a new language. Research has shown that knowing multiple languages literally changes the way you see the world. Being multilingual is also likely to improve the speaker’s confidence, which will help them make better, more self-assured decisions in all areas of life.
Get started sooner rather than later
Clearly, being bilingual is a wonderful way to be in a good position for happiness and success in life. Learning a new language is easier when you’re young, so don’t hesitate to start the introduction process. Do the best thing you can for your child— start with one of these charming bilingual children’s books.