The Benefits of Bilingualism
For much of the twentieth century, parents were often not to bring up their children with two languages. It was feared that the children would become confused and fall behind at school. Research has since this view almost completely. Bilingual children may take slightly longer to start speaking, but they soon catch up, and many studies suggest that switching between languages the brain's ability to control attention. Bilingual people are often better at ignoring distractions and at moving quickly from one task to another. Some researchers have even that speaking two languages can delay the symptoms of dementia by several years, although this finding remains . What is not in doubt is the practical value: a second language opens doors that would otherwise remain , to jobs, travel and friendships.
