The Benefits of Being Bilingual

The United States is a country of many languages. It’s hard to know the exact number, but data shows there are between 68 and 76 million people in the U.S. who speak more than one language. So it’s no surprise that more children now grow up in bilingual households.

Christina was one of them. Early on she knew she used different languages to speak with certain people in her family.

Christina’s mother was just a year old when she emigrated to the U.S. with Christina’s grandparents. “She grew up, went to school here and learned to speak English as fluently as she did Spanish,” she explains. “My father, on the other hand, finished his education in Mexico and emigrated to the U.S. at the age of 19. While my mother could speak Spanish, reading and writing in Spanish weren’t her strong suits. So my father made it his goal to teach my sister and I to speak, read and write in fluent Spanish.”

Christina’s parents used an approach many experts tell parents to try when teaching their kids two languages — “one parent, one language.” While Christina’s mother spoke with her in English, her father spoke to her in Spanish.

Mental, Physical and Emotional Perks

Learning two languages offers many advantages. The list is long, but here are a few:

1. Faster mastery of new words and other languages
   When you speak two or more languages, new words come at you all the time. New vocabulary becomes easier. It also aids in understanding roots, related words and definitions. Finally, if you’ve learned two languages, it opens the door to mastering a third and fourth.
2. Sharper brain function
   The parts of the brain that help control, direct and focus your attention (executive brain function) get a boost. People fluent in more than one language have an easier time ignoring information that isn’t important. They can plan and complete actions more efficiently. This edge extends to problem-solving skills, too.
3. Better multi-tasking skills
   People who speak more than one language are in a constant state of multi-tasking. This extends to activities beyond translating words. Studies show functioning in multiple language makes you better at simultaneously handling competing demands.
4. Stronger ties with community and culture
   Languages carry centuries of history. Learning them means learning about other cultures and people. It fosters empathy for others. Research shows acquiring two languages helps “Theory of Mind” development — the ability to understand other people and their behavior.
5. Slower onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
   Brain scans show the bilingual brain helps compensate for brain changes caused by aging. It uses alternative brain networks and connections when the original pathways are damaged or destroyed. Researchers call it “cognitive compensation.”

Christina is grateful her parents ensured she is equally comfortable speaking English and Spanish.

“Growing up, I knew that I had to speak to my mother in English and my father in Spanish,” she adds. “My maternal grandmother, who also spoke Spanish, reinforced my father’s teachings and gave me someone else to communicate with in Spanish.”

Do you have a story about being bilingual or its benefits?

Sources: The United States Is Rich in Languages,  Share America, 2023; The Surprising Truth About American Bilingualism: What the Data Tells Us,  America Bilingual; What Is OPOL — One Person One Language?,  Bilingual Kid Spot, 2024; How to Keep Your Brain Fit with Language Learning,  International Center for Language Studies, 2024; 10 Benefits of Bilingualism, According the Science,   Big Think, 2022

Originally published 9/28/2016; Revised 2023, 2024