The Advantages of Bilingualism and of Raising Children Bilingual

Growing up bilingual has many advantages from different points of view, analytic skills development, personal satisfaction and identity just to name a few. Here is some food for thought for all parents debating whether to raise their child bilingual, an overview of the major pro of bilingualism:

It’s the easiest way to learn a second language. No lessons, no grammar books, DVDs or other boring stuff. Children learn living, playing, eating…
It’s cheap. Much cheaper than any language class. It costs practically nothing, or may be just the the price of a couple of books or some music
It gives the child an opportunity to stay in touch with his/her roots and extended family. The child won’t feel left out when s/he will be with grandparents, uncles, aunties, cousins and relatives in general
It’s natural. It’s easier and more natural to learn a language from birth than at any time later in life, hence it’s best to start early.
It allows to reach native like mastering of the language, i.e. to speak it without accent, or close to
Later in life it will be easier to learn a third or more languages, because of the acquired ability to recognize different sounds, intonations, rithms, grammatical structures
It stimulates intelligence. Bilingualisms requires an extra efforts and flexibility and stimulates the brain, as a consequence bilingual children are faster in learning to read and write and have more developed analytical skills
A bilingual child is more aware of different cultures and environments and is open and curious towards cultural differences. In a constantly shrinking world s/he is better prepared to become a true citizen of the world
In the future being bilingual could improve his/her career and open new opportunities, more and more mastering of multiple languages is critical for professional success