How Does a Multilingual Environment Improve Cognitive and Social Skills?

If your child speaks more than one language, they are among the 12 million kids in the US who can communicate in another language other than English. One of the most commonly spoken languages, other than America’s primary language English, is Spanish. According to a survey, nearly 56.2 percent of multilingual Americans spoke Spanish or Spanish Creole.

It’s easier for children to learn a second language compared to adults, and if these children are bought up in a multilingual environment, they have a good hold over the vocabulary and are extremely fluent in multiple languages.

Being a part of a multilingual household or existing in a multilingual environment can have some positive effects on a child’s cognitive and social skills. Learning a second or third language from a young age can help children develop fluency over more than one language, which can take even the most qualified linguists to master.

Keep reading this blog to learn more about the benefits of growing up in a multilingual environment and how it enhances brain function and improves cognitive and social skills.

Impact On Cognitive Skills

Increases Grey Matter Density

Grey matter is one of the most significant parts of the central nervous system, which aids us in performing our daily tasks normally. Brain scans done on people who were exposed to a multilingual environment showed that they had a significantly higher grey matter density compared to those who are monolingual.

Grey matter is one of the core components of the nervous system that’s responsible for processing information, speech, and sensory perception and also helps improve our memory.

Enhances Cognitive Flexibility

Numerous research studies have shown that multilingual children have better cognitive abilities than those who are exposed to a monolingual environment.

According to experts, multilingual or bilingual children are quick to analyze and understand various concepts and things at a young age, and being a part of a multilingual environment can help strengthen their brain muscles.

Monolingual children tend to be more accepting of challenging tasks compared to their monolingual counterparts because they can easily switch from one language to another and can easily use vocabulary from a foreign language even when the words from their native language might be more convenient and accessible.

Boosts Creativity and Out-of-The-Box Thinking

Children who’re exposed to multilingual environments have a wider view of the world. Being able to speak more than one language enhances the ability to think out of the box.

Enhanced creativity and curiosity allow one to have good problem-solving abilities. Individuals view the world from a different lens than others and tend to have numerous viewpoints for a single problem.

a creative, multilingual child

Strengthens Prefrontal Cortex Of The Brain

The prefrontal cortex of the brain is essential for maintaining executive functioning and is responsible for thinking and awareness. A strong prefrontal cortex helps increase awareness and attention and also leads to an increase in cognitive development.

Speaking multiple languages and being exposed to a multilingual environment have been shown to strengthen the prefrontal cortex of one’s brain. A child with a strong prefrontal cortex can analyze situations in a better way and will act more appropriately than a monolingual child.

a model of brain functions

Impact On Social Skills

Makes Your Kids More Empathetic

Empathy is an extremely crucial social skill that should be inculcated in every individual as a child. According to research, children who learn more than one language display more empathy than those who’re not exposed to multilingual environments.

Individuals in a multilingual environment have social experiences that cause them to consider other people’s perspectives instead of just focusing on their own.

Can Speak To More People

Being multilingual opens doors for people to make more friends and acquaintances with people belonging to different cultures and countries.

Children growing up in a multilingual environment are able to communicate with a larger number of people and can expand their social circle as there are no language barriers to stop them. Even as adults, this skill can make traveling more interesting.

Improves Cross-Cultural Understanding

Language and culture are more intertwined than we can think of. Being multilingual helps to form cultural understanding and also provides a deeper and more thought-provoking perspective on how other people from different cultures view the world.

 Aids In Forming And Building Long-Lasting Connections

Language is an excellent and efficient way to build long-lasting connections and friendships with people from around the world. Multilingual children are also more confident at making new friends belonging to cultures other than their own.

multilingual children forming strong bonds

Get In Touch With Ideal School to Enroll Your Child In A Professional Online Language School

Ideal School was founded in 2018 in Seattle, Washington, as a bilingual elementary school.  We support our students and their parents to enable virtual learning from home successfully. The teachers at our online bilingual school encourage self-sufficiency and communicate with parents regularly about how to improve performance and engagement.

Some of our most attractive features include trained and experienced teachers, a small class size, a comprehensive instructional framework, and frequent parental involvement. Our diverse student body has children from all over the US, Caribbean, and Latin America to give your child an enriching and immersive multicultural experience.

Our professional online bilingual school uses various online platforms and apps to offer real-time learning in a progressive and multicultural environment. Emergency remote teaching is difficult to cater and requires expertise. So, if you’re searching for a fun and interactive virtual school to enroll your children in then, Ideal School Elementary is the place for you.

We are an online, bilingual elementary school that offer learning in English and Spanish. We offer an engaging learning environment for your child that not only enhances their skills but also nurtures their creativity.

The Ideal School also offers live Open Houses, which feature free online demo classes for students and parents who’re interested to know more details about our school and teaching methods.

Reach out to us today to know more details about our curriculum and teaching methods and to enroll your child in our online elementary homeschool programs.

Eric Franzen

Eric Franzen

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