What a responsibility being a parent is! After baby showers, obsessively analysing any name you hear, and choosing the exact paint colour for the calming yet educating and stimulating vibes for the nursery, suddenly you have a baby in your lap... and this new little human has lots of needs - all of which fall to you!
We all know about keeping our children warm, fed and safe but as they grow and explore the world around them we want to make sure they have the best experiences that will help them to grow into independent, happy, caring adults. All without a guide book, right?! We race around to different clubs playing sports, dancing, creating art, swimming, making things, and while there's so much going on (paired with so much energy to use up) quiet times tend to be downtime - screen time, eating, relaxing. I want to highlight the importance of learning and exercising the brain - and that starts earlier than we imagine - possibly before birth. Before we look at how we can do this - let's look at the benefits (and while you are reading, please bear in mind that more than half of the people in the world speak more than one language - so this isn't something insurmountable!)
Improved cultural awareness: Learning a second language can help a child understand and appreciate different cultures, foster tolerance, and develop a greater understanding of the world.
(This was originally my third point - but I feel that in today's world, it needed promotion!)
Learning a second language from a young age can greatly enrich a child's cultural understanding and appreciation - this is why I created the Les Puces method of language learning! This exposure to different cultures can help to broaden their horizons, foster empathy and respect for others, and deepen their understanding of the world around them.
One of the key benefits of learning a second language is that it provides children with access to new cultures, customs, and perspectives. By learning about different cultures and languages, children can gain a deeper understanding of the world and the people in it. This exposure to diversity can help to develop their critical thinking skills, and encourage them to challenge their own beliefs and assumptions.
Learning a second language can also foster empathy and respect for others. By gaining the ability to communicate with people from different cultures, children can gain a deeper understanding of others' perspectives and experiences. This can help them to develop a more compassionate and understanding outlook, and can encourage them to treat others with respect and kindness - and this is surely, a main aim for all parents!
A more interesting life: Being bilingual can provide children with access to a wider range of literature, music, and film. Many works of art and culture are created in languages other than English, and being bilingual can allow children to access and appreciate these works in their original language. This can deepen their cultural understanding and appreciation, and help them to expand their knowledge and interests.
Les Puces French classes for kids - image by Pete Williamson
Being bilingual can also increase children's confidence and self-esteem. By being able to communicate effectively in multiple languages, children can feel more confident and self-assured, and can better navigate new environments and interact with people from different cultures and backgrounds. This can help them to develop a strong sense of independence and self-reliance, and can increase their confidence in their ability to succeed in new situations.
So, learning a second language from a young age can greatly enrich a child's cultural understanding and appreciation. With access to new cultures, customs, and perspectives, improved empathy and respect for others, exposure to a wider range of literature, music, and film, and increased confidence and self-esteem, bilingualism can help children to grow into well-rounded and culturally-aware individuals.
More brain power!: Learning a second language can enhance a child's mental abilities and critical thinking skills, as well as increase their memory and ability to focus and process information.
Learning a second language from a young age can provide children with the opportunity to develop their linguistic and communicative abilities, which can have a positive impact on their overall cognitive development. This can include improved language skills, such as increased vocabulary, improved grammar, and more developed comprehension abilities in their mother-tongue.
Studies have shown that bilingual children perform better on tasks that require switching focus, indicating that the skill of swapping between languages enhances their ability to process information quickly. This improved cognitive flexibility can also benefit children in other areas of their lives, such as school, where they may need to switch between subjects or tasks quickly and efficiently.
In addition to improving focus and cognitive flexibility, bilingualism has also been linked to improved memory skills. Children who are bilingual are better at retaining and recalling information, and this improved memory can benefit them in their academic and personal lives. These benefits are also seen in children who are not experiencing a completely bilingual lifestyle, but just have regular exposure and access to another language - for example via the Les Puces French course for children, where you can simply play a video a day, sing a French song and play with the fun projects that you have made.
Bilingualism can enhance abstract thinking abilities, allowing children to consider multiple perspectives and make connections that they may not have been able to make otherwise. This can lead to a deeper understanding of complex concepts and improved problem-solving skills.
One of the key benefits of bilingualism is that it strengthens the executive control network in the brain. This network is responsible for tasks such as switching between languages, filtering out irrelevant information, and managing conflicting demands. By regularly switching between languages, the executive control network becomes more efficient, which can result in improved cognitive flexibility and problem-solving skills. It really is a great brain workout!
Overall, learning a second language from a young age can have a positive impact on brain function in children. By improving memory, attention, and problem-solving skills, bilingualism can help children develop stronger cognitive abilities and better prepare them for success in their academic and personal lives.
Better job prospects: In an increasingly globalised world, the ability to speak multiple languages is highly valued and can lead to greater job opportunities in the future.
Les Puces bilingual book 'Petit Paul veut devenir pirate.'
It may seem a long way off, but before you know it, this little bundle in your arms is going to be out there competing in the employment scene! In today's interconnected world, the ability to speak multiple languages is becoming increasingly valuable in the job market. For children who start learning a second language from a young age, the benefits can be long-lasting and can provide them with a distinct advantage in the workplace.
One of the key benefits of bilingualism is that it provides access to a wider range of job opportunities. Companies and organisations that operate on a global scale require employees who are able to communicate effectively with people from different cultures and backgrounds. Being bilingual can increase the chances of being hired or promoted in industries such as business, tourism, and diplomacy, as well as in positions that require international communication and understanding. I am well aware that intelligent translators are so good now that they are an amazing tool - but we are still human, and a natural flowing conversation beats the intervention of an AI voice any day!
In addition, being bilingual can increase earning potential. This competitive advantage in the job market can result in higher salaries and better job prospects. I have worked in the holiday property rentals market in the UK - what possible help were my languages going to be there? I was chosen to attend property shows in Paris and Ghent, Belgium, plus I appeared on French radio and was able to converse with visitors from Germany and France who were staying in the properties that we managed. Many young people are interested in the media as a future career - if there is a story happening in Paris and you can speak French, you are obviously going to be chosen to cover it! If you are a pop star and wanting to travel the world... isn't it nice to talk to at least some of your audience in their own language - and think how it will make your lyrics more interesting? So languages help us in all areas of our life - hey, I even won a bottle of champagne once in a general knowledge school quiz. I'm useless at general knowledge but I managed to answer lots of questions purely by recognising the similarities in important words in French and German! So the benefits are not just confined to international business, translation, and tourism.
Effective communication and networking are essential to many businesses - if you can reach out to international partners with even some basics in their language, then that is going to start you off on the right foot.
So, being bilingual can provide children with a sense of independence and self-reliance. By being able to communicate effectively or partially in multiple languages, children will have the tools to navigate new environments and interact with people from different cultures and backgrounds. This can increase their confidence and self-esteem, and help them feel more comfortable and secure in new situations.
Increased confidence: Being able to speak another language can boost a child's confidence, self-esteem, and sense of achievement. It can also help them form new friendships and connect with people from different backgrounds.
When a child is confident, they can progress with learning and friendships without holding themselves back. That deep understanding that people have contrasting beliefs and have different ways of doing things underlines the fact that there is no 'right' or 'wrong' way, and this instantly instills the message that you can find your own way in life without fearing criticism or failure!
Learning a second language can also help children to develop their first language. By learning a second language, children can gain a deeper understanding of language structure and grammar, and can become more proficient in their first language. This can help them to become better communicators, and can provide them with a strong foundation for future language learning.
In my experiences with children in Les Puces French classes, I have found that sometimes the child that is really struggling in other subjects, excels with languages! They have already learned one language and, once they understand this concept, it makes them much more likely to 'have a go' with the new one. The sense of achievement that this can bring is wonderful to see!
In fact, the one thing that I have found that holds children back are the adults around them. I have seen bilingual children (English/Spanish) kept out of a Les Puces French class as the teachers thought it would be too confusing for them, and I have heard parents say openly, in front of their children, that learning another language is too difficult - and they are still learning the first one. That makes me sad. It reminds me of being in a queue in a fish and chip shop once, and a little child pointed to a jar of gherkins and asked "What are they?" Mum quickly responded with "Oh you won't like those!" and that was the end of the conversation. It's hard (and I can understand mum's response!) but let's try and let our children make their own discoveries - they might like gherkins!
In conclusion, learning a second language from a young age can give a confidence boost that can last a lifetime. With improved memory, attention, and executive function, enhanced first language development and even delayed onset of age-related cognitive decline, bilingualism can help children to develop their brain's abilities and prepare for success in their future.
Now that you hopefully have the reasons to give your child the gift of a second language - let's start learning! Please consider Les Puces French classes for children either in person if you have a tutor near you, or via Zoom classes - or even just learning on your own with your little puce! You don't need to have any language skills, as you work through our 25 subject workbooks, making projects and filling your heads with knowledge using our online portal which is stuffed full of videos with bilingual tutors guiding you through the course.
Mandie Davis
Further reading: "Bilingualism in Development: Language, Literacy, and Cognition" edited by Ellen Bialystok and Kenji Hakuta, "The Bilingual Brain" by Albert Costa, "The Bilingual Advantage: Language, Literacy, and the US Labor Market" by Julie Sweetland, and "The Impact of Bilingualism on Cognitive Development and Education" by Tove Skutnabb-Kangas and Robert Phillipson, to name a few.
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