The Importance Of Bilingual Education

Bilingual Education is basically education in two languages; usually a native language and a second language, but it depends and varies from country to country.

Around 70 per cent of the world we live in is bilingual and even though this may come to you as a surprise, bilingual education is actually a common approach worldwide. Worldwide, this may be implemented in various ways for the majority and/or minority language population with different goals. For example, in Israel, the bilingual education program is used not only to aid the Arabic as well as Hebrew speaking population but also to teach Hebrew (native language) to the immigrants. Whereas in Canada the program is designed to make the majority language speakers who are proficient in English to become more proficient in the minority language French emphasising on both languages and at the same time. In some first-world countries such as Canada, the UK, these programs are used to aid immigrants or indigenous people to become more proficient in English. Another example is Ireland, the bilingual education program there is used mainly to help restore the native language.

We all know that in this 21st century, being proficient in one language is no longer enough & that having proficiency in a second language is considered an asset. This is true as it provides vast professional opportunities in the current world we live in. For example, did you know depending on the job, it has been noted that having a flair in more than one language can add up to as much as 20 per cent to one’s salary per year? Today, in order to gain success be it economic, societal or educational being bilingual is an advantage and the ability to function in more than one language is now more so a necessity.

Bilingualism comes with its pros and cons, but it is safe to say that the pros outweigh the cons and for this reason, parents need to consider bilingual education seriously! It helps with the growth of the brain, strengthens the executive function of the brain & enhances concentration as well as working memory in children. According to research, children with bilingualism are better performers than children with monolingualism.

Remember, it is easier to train a child’s brain & is easier for children to become proficient in more than one language as compared to adults. For this reason, it is better to introduce bilingual education at an early age; once a second language is mastered a third or an additional language becomes easier to learn.