Children and the Bilingual Brain
Parents recently have started a trend of trying to raise their children to speak two different languages. Children that are bilingual have a large advantage and succeed throughout many different aspects of life than those who are monolingual. Bilingualism for children is an experience just like any activity one participates in that creates brain stimulation.
According to Dr. Eugene Garcia of Columbia University and author of various texts on Bilingualism, speaking two languages gives children an advantage for learning and memory. She states that Bilingualism gives children the capability of understanding from different points of views and is better at problem solving. She also says it makes the child more aware of the importance of language and communication at a young age.
In order to find out why Bilinguals are different than Monolinguals, we need to look into how the brain functions and where language plays a role in the brain. A recent study by Researchers from Northwestern University and University of Houston studied the brain activity using a fMRI to look at brain activity from bilingual and monolingual teenagers. Their results stated that the teens who were monolingual had a more difficult time doing a task than people who were bilingual. They found this result by watching how much harder the brain had to physically work. The study also showed bilingual people were able to filter out unrelated material given in the exercise and be able to complete the task at a higher speed. The more one exercises and stretches their brain, the more it will be capable of doing with faster results.
I just recently moved from Pennsylvania to Puerto Rico due to my husband’s work. My soon to be 3-year-old is taking on Spanish with ease. This has been such an amazing opportunity for her and myself to be bilingual. I look forward to watching her excel in her studies along with socially throughout life. It amazes me how quickly she remembers a word in both Spanish and English after just briefly being introduced.
In conclusion, having a bilingual brain is important for children that want to have a jump start at life skills. The skill of speaking two languages is clearly beneficial and important for children who want to succeed and a have a better understanding of life. As our world changes and becomes more diverse, being bilingual will have so many benefits for all.
Works Cited
Sifferlin, A. (2014, November 12). Speaking More Than One Language Could Sharpen Your Brain. Retrieved September 12, 2015, from http://time.com/3581457/bilingual-brain-smart/
Sherwood, E. (2007, November 1). Education Update – Professor Ofelia Garcia Speaks Out In Favor of Bilingual Education. Retrieved September 12, 2015, from http://www.educationupdate.com/archives/2007/NOV/html/spot-profofeilia.html
It is interesting with bilingual children because when they think of something, they think of the actual object. They don’t think of a word in english or another language first, and then translate it in their heads second. They associate a word with the physical appearance because children do not have a “first” or “second” language. This is why it is better for them to learn at a young age versus later in life. It is much for difficult for me to pick up a second language than it is my 3 year old daughter.
In reading this blog about bilingual language and the brain, I found it to be pretty familiar to my own lifestyle. Growing up, I was lucky to have the opportunity to speak two languages. I see the advantages now that I am grown up. I notice that my job opportunities were on the rise as soon as I listed bilingual on my resume and I also see that I pick up new things with ease. It is definitely easier for me to understand what a Spanish speaking person needs and then be able to translate that need into action to assist that person. I enjoyed reading this blog because it reminds me of myself and how I have grown to become a hard working bilingual speaker in my everyday life. I also found it very interesting how it is considered to be a “jump start at life skills” to have a bilingual brain, I guess you can say that being bilingual lets you see both sides of a single word.
-Graciela Pulido