Does Being Bilingual Speed-Develop Your Brain?
Have you ever thought about how being bilingual could improve your brain? Are you looking for a definitive answer to help you make up your mind?
Perhaps you’ve heard the myths about how a bilingual education confuses children and it’s giving you second thoughts about becoming bilingual yourself.
I’m here to help you dispel those myths and tell you the truth about the benefits of bilingualism as supported by scientific research. In reality, being bilingual offers a wide variety of benefits and opens countless doors.
Keep reading to discover these benefits, find out how bilingualism improves your brain development, and learn how to start your own personal journey to becoming bilingual!
Table of Contents:
- 6 Brain Benefits of Being Bilingual
- Being Bilingual Improves Your Life
- How You (or Your Child) Can Become Bilingual
- Be Better, Be Bilingual
6 Brain Benefits of Being Bilingual
The science of language learning has made extraordinary progress in recent decades, with plenty of studies that point to that conclusion.
But, what exactly are these brain-improving benefits?
Let’s take a look at some of the most important pros of bilingualism, based on quotes and essays from renowned scientists who research this topic both in the U.S. and internationally.
1. Sharpens the Brain Command Center
A 2004 study suggested that “the bilingual experience improves the brain command center,” meaning that bilingual persons may be better at switching attention from one thing to another and solving certain types of problems.
2. Builds More Gray Matter
The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is an important part of your brain that gets bigger, stronger, and more flexible the more you use it.
According to Italian scientists, “bilingual people have significantly more gray matter than monolinguals” in their ACC.
3. Protects Against Dementia
An often-cited study showed that bilingual people “showed symptoms of dementia four years later than monolinguals,” suggesting that speaking a second language maintains cognitive functioning and delays the onset of dementia and other illnesses in old age.
4. Helps Faster Recovery After a Stroke
Bilingualism improves your brain development so much that, in the unfortunate case that you have a stroke, it would help you to have “a better cognitive outcome after stroke.”
5. Improves Your Spatial Abilities
Another study showed that bilinguals are “better able to solve certain spatial tasks,” suggesting a connection between mental imagery, spatial ability, and bilingual language processing.
6. Upgrades Your Neurological Structures
One of researchers’ most amazing discoveries is that bilingualism not only affects how neurological structures process information, but also “may alter the neurological structures themselves.”
Being Bilingual Improves Your Life
Bilingualism has plenty of proven academic, professional, and social benefits, such as increasing awareness of other cultures, boosting school engagement and academic success, and getting better jobs.
Moreover, being a bilingual person also has many neurological and cognitive benefits that improve brain development and overall health.
How You (or Your Child) Can Become Bilingual
These days, you have plenty of options to learn a new language. The question is, which one is the best fit for you and your family?
Being a bilingual teacher myself and having two daughters who each speak four languages puts me in a unique position to advise you in this regard.
1. Choose the Right Program for You
Everyone has a different learning style. Some people are visual learners, others learn better reading, while others prefer to focus on developing speaking skills first. It’s important that you consider what type of learner you are before choosing the best program for you.
Moreover, you also have to consider if you can learn by yourself, if you prefer to have a tutor guiding you, what types of support resources you have access to, and many other variables that influence how you’ll learn Spanish.
Learn how to choose the best Spanish curriculum for your kids in this article, where I give plenty of actionable tips. As a Spanish teacher myself, I believe that the best program is one that is tailored to your specific needs and offers a balanced approach—such as the one Homeschool Spanish Academy (HSA) offers.
2. Aim for Easy and Flexible to Suit Your Family’s Needs
This is super important for any Spanish program you may choose. There’s no point in buying amazing software or enrolling in an exclusive language school, if using the program is too complicated or you can’t attend the school regularly.
The HSA method is easy to use and understand. It offers flexibility in terms of scheduling, curriculum, registration, and more. The process is as simple as creating your account, scheduling your classes, and connecting with your teacher.
You can choose from a pool of teachers, reschedule classes according to your needs, and pre-book different amounts of classes, giving you control over the way your Spanish learning program evolves.
3. Don’t Think You Have to Overspend for Quality Classes
Another crucial element to consider—affordability. You’re looking for a language learning program that offers value. HSA offers a balanced approach that includes a wide variety of products and services at an affordable price.
At Homeschool Spanish Academy, you can choose from a set of pre-arranged sets of classes, where you can invest in 60 lessons for $7.65 per class. This type of program that includes one-to-one classes, homework materials, quizzes, exams, report cards, and more, is without a doubt one of the best options you’ll find on the market.
4. Take the Free Trial Class to See If It Feels Right
An excellent way to discover if this or that Spanish program is the good one for you is to give it a try and see for yourself. HSA offers that possibility as you can sign up today for a free trial class with one of their certified, native teachers from Guatemala who have one of the easiest-to-understand Spanish accents in all Latin America.
During your trial lesson, you’ll see how the whole process of the program works. Starting with the scheduling of the classes, selecting your preferred teacher, and choosing the type of content you’ll be learning and how the teacher-student interaction takes place.
Be Better, Be Bilingual
As you can see, being bilingual enhances your brain development in many ways, among many other benefits that speaking a second language brings to your life. Scientists agree that bilingualism affects your neurological development in a positive way. So, what are you waiting for?
Sign up today for a free trial class at Homeschool Spanish Academy. We teach over 40,000 classes per month, and offer flexible scheduling and tailored Spanish programs. By the end of your first class, you’ll be speaking in Spanish—and kickstarting your journey toward bilingualism!
Join one of the 40,000 classes that we teach each month and you can experience results like these
“This is the best way for your kid to learn Spanish. It’s one-on-one, taught by native Spanish speakers, and uses a curriculum.”
– Sharon K, Parent of 3
“It’s a great way to learn Spanish, from native Spanish speakers in a 1-on-1 environment. It’s been fairly easy to schedule classes around my daughter’s other classes. The best value for us has been ordering multiple classes at a time. All the instructors have been great!”
– Cindy D, Parent of 3
“HSA offers very affordable, quality, one on one classes with a native speaker. My son has greatly benefited from taking classes. We have seen his confidence increase as well as his pronunciation improve, because he learns from a native Spanish speaker. HSA has quick, personal customer service. Our family has been very pleased with our experience so far!”
– Erica P. Parent of 1
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