Stefanie Zimerman

Dr. Skutar

4/16/18

The Importance of Being Bilingual and the Benefits for Students, Individuals and Society

I am Stefanie Zimerman, a sophomore at the University of Cincinnati majoring in

Communication Sciences and Disorders. I learned a second language, Hebrew, at the age of 18

when moving to Israel to join the Israeli Defense Force. I have found that being bilingual has

improved many aspects of my life, in particular my academic performance. In high school I was

a very average student and did not put much effort in school however, in college I am an

excellent student, I have a very high GPA and I enjoy succeeding in the classroom.

I do not think this would have happened if I had not experienced time overseas thus

learning a second language. As such, I propose that every student in America be required to learn

a second language beginning in kindergarten and continuing throughout their schooling, as being

bilingual contributes to better academic performance, improves cognitive abilities, the ability to

focus on goals, it improves attention to detail, it can lower stress and reduce the risk of

depression. Finally, being bilingual provides increased opportunities for the citizens of our

country to flourish in a job market that is increasingly competitive and globalized. I propose that

all American schools should allocate funds to expand foreign language departments, so every

student can reap the many personal, educational, social, and economic benefits of being

bilingual.

Now, some of you may be thinking, what exactly does it mean to be bilingual? The

dictionary defines bilingual as the ability to speak two languages with the capability of a native

speaker as well as “spoken, written, or containing similar information

in two different languages” (Bilingual). While this definition is very straight forward there is

more to being bilingual than the ability to speak the language proficiently. According to Steve

McCarty, a professor at Osaka Jogakuin University, said that “The word "bilingualism" can

mean many things, which together form a "perspective" on language issues and life decisions.

Becoming bilingual oneself, it becomes possible to see the same event from the standpoint of

two different languages and cultural viewpoints” (McCarty, Steve).

This image shows 4 definitions and interpretations of bilingualism (McCarty, Steve).

Since we are discussing the benefits of bilingualism on American students we should

understand the way learning a second language differs than learning a native language. The act

of acquiring a second language is called second language acquisition which is generally thought

to be a deliberate, conscious act as opposed to the innateness of learning a native language. The

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Fundamental Difference Hypothesis says that acquiring a second language is a very different

process than acquiring a native language. People who agree with this hypothesis believe that an

adult’s ability to problem solve impacts the way the adult will learn a new language (“Language

Acquisition”). This theory can relate to how the older students will learn the second language

and can help the teachers build curriculums that will best benefit them to acquire a second

language.

While I am here to argue the importance of bilingualism in American students, I also

want to discuss the importance of beginning the process of learning a second language at a young

age. The sooner children are exposed to a second language the easier it is for them to learn the

language fluently in the sense of vocabulary and grasp of the grammar of the second language. In

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general, after the age of puberty the ability to acquire grammar in a second language becomes

increasingly more difficult (“Language Acquisition”).

The image above shows that only 21% of US Children speak a different language than English,

in addition the picture mentions that bilingual children may have higher focus than a

monolingual child (Monolingual vs Bilingual Infographic).

Learning a second language is vital to increase brain function and promote good learning

habits and skills within American students. The list of benefits is lengthy while the list of

downsides is rather short. Many studies have been conducted that show a positive correlation

between second language study and higher scores on standardized tests (“What The Research

Shows”). Students that had second language studies daily showed higher test scores on

standardized tests then students who did not have exposure to the foreign language (“ACTFL”).

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This image provides statistics on the effects of being bilingual on education. The image shows

the difference between countries in the EU and America (Monolingual vs Bilingual Infographic).

This is only one example of the many studies that were conducted that prove a strong

correlation between learning a foreign language and improved reading abilities, increased

linguistic awareness, and higher academic performance in college, results which we all seek.

The impact of these benefits on students’ lives is endless, not only does their academic

performance improve, by learning a second language the students are receiving tools and benefits

that will last a life time.

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This above image depicts the benefits of being bilingual on the brain, such as improved memory

and decision-making skills, prevents dementia, and more (Borreli, Lizette).

There are only a few counter-arguments against educating bilingualism, with the most

notable being research that has determined that “putting too much effort into learning a new

language hinders the ability to learn the language. The study’s results showed that some aspects

of learning a language are better learned through procedural memory, performing tasks without

thinking about them, while other aspects are better learned through declarative memory, storing

of knowledge and facts (Try, Try Again?). This argument refers to very specific types of

learning styles all of which could, and should, be implemented in any effective school

curriculum.

In “The Disadvantages of Learning a Foreign Language” Richards presents arguments to

the statement: every student should learn a second language. Some of the arguments include cost

and a lack of usefulness. One certainly cannot deny the endemic lack of funding of American

public schools, and the sad fact that the American public-school system is not present on the top

ten list of the world’s best educational systems. In order for United States schools to become

more effective an overriding factor would need to be increased government spending and a re-

evaluation of the current education system.

Richards argues from a macro perspective about the lack of funding for, and usefulness

of a second language, but it orders to reform a system we must begin at the micro level and

introduce changes that first resound with and provide benefits for the individual, and thereby

affects the whole. Further as we become an increasingly global economy where more than 90%

of the world’s population don’t speak English, it is vital for the future of our children and our

country that we are able to effectively communicate on a global scale (Marian, Victoria, and

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Anthony Shook). Ultimately this brings about deeper understanding and empathy for cultures

different to your own.

By educating our youth and providing them with the tools that come along with

bilingualism, we are investing in the future of the country. As a bilingual student in the US I can

say that without a doubt knowing a second language has helped me academically and socially.

This graph shows the percentages of Bilingual Speakers in certain countries. As seen from the

graph, the US is slowly experiencing an increase of bilingual speakers however, the percentage is

still low at less than 20% (Marian, Victoria, and Anthony Shook).

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Learning a second language is extremely beneficial; it improves cognition and memory,

provides the student with high verbal and nonverbal intelligence, improves the ability to

multitask and is even shown to slow the rate of cognitive decline later in life. Having a

population fluent in a second language also makes social sense for a country and world that is

increasingly diverse, and it makes economic sense from both a micro and macro level. In

addition, knowing a second language provides cultural enrichment, and the ability to

communicate and interact confidently with people outside one’s own community.

In addition to all the benefits I just listed, by educating a second language we are

preparing students to enter in to the work force. Being bilingual increases the chances of job

opportunities in America but also provides the students of America with the ability to travel and

work in a different country as well.

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The above image shows the benefits bilingualism has in the work-force. 30% of the American

economy involved international trade and being bilingual raises the hourly salary by almost 3%

(Monolingual vs Bilingual Infographic).

As shown in the image, 30% of the US economy involves international trade

(Monolingual vs Bilingual Infographic). This number can be expected to rise in the future as

economic relations with other countries grow and flourish. In addition to being beneficial in the

workforce, it comes along with a pay increase of nearly 3% (Monolingual vs Bilingual

Infographic) which is further incentive for the students to commit to becoming bilingual, as it is

not an easy task and will require immense effort on the students’ part.

Are you bilingual? Do you regret not ever mastering a second language? We strive to

provide opportunities for self-improvement, to enhance self-confidence and provide the

resources so that the next generation have the tools to be the best they can be, and it begins with

the most fundamental of all human interactions – communication. There truly are no

disadvantages to being bilingual and it’s good for you. I want to conclude with a quote by

Ludwig Wittgenstein, an Austrian-British philosopher who said, “the limits of my language

mean the limits of my world.”

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Work- Cited

“ACTFL” Studies Supporting Increased Academic Achievement | American Council on the

Teaching of Foreign Languages, American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages,

www.actfl.org/advocacy/what-the-research-shows/studies-supporting#collegeperformance.

“Bilingual” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, www.dictionary.com/browse/bilingual.

Borreli, Lizette. “Bilingualism And Brain Health.” Canadian Parents for French | Manitoba,

mb.cpf.ca/blog/whats-new/bilingualism-and-brain-health-learning-a-second-language-boosts-

cognitive-function-even-at-old-age/.

Czekala, Bartosz. “80 Amazing Benefits of Language Learning.” The Universe of Memory,

www.universeofmemory.com/benefits-of-language-learning/.

“Language Acquistion.” An Introduction to Language, by Victoria Fromkin et al., 10th ed.,

Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2011.

Marian, Victoria, and Anthony Shook. “The Cognitive Benefits of Being Bilingual.” Dana

Foundation  , Cerebrum , 31 Oct. 2012,

dana.org/Cerebrum/2012/The_Cognitive_Benefits_of_Being_Bilingual/.

“Monolingual vs Bilingual Infographic.” e-Learning Infographics, 6 Feb. 2014,

elearninginfographics.com/monolingual-vs-bilingual-infographic/.

McCarty, Steve. “Bilingualism as the Goal of Language Learning.” Bilingualism and Language

Teaching, Child Research Net, 21 June 2013,

www.childresearch.net/papers/language/2013_01.html.

Richards, Rebekah. “The Disadvantages of Learning a Foreign Language.” Synonym, Classroom,

classroom.synonym.com/disadvantages-learning-foreign-language-7932356.html.

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“Try, Try Again?” Science Daily, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 21 July 2014,

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140721142211.htm.

“What The Research Shows” American Council of Teaching Foreign Languages, ACTFL,

www.actfl.org/advocacy/what-the-research-shows.

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