Articles

The Benefits of Learning A Foreign Language

Published by SchoolAdvisor | Sep 18, 2014

The growth of private education has provided parents the opportunity to explore alternative educations pathways for their children. With the diversity of curriculum and education choices, children today have the unique ability to explore and learn to the fullest of their potential.

A multi-ethnic society such as Malaysia translates to Malaysian in general being exposed to a number of languages that reflect said diversity. Bahasa Malaysia, the national language and English are the two most common languages used alongside the vernacular of ethnic communities such as Mandarin and Tamil.

International Schools now offers the opportunity for children to acquire an additional foreign language while in the stage of primary or secondary education. In some schools, it may form part of the school's curriculum such as schools with the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum or a holistic programme under co-curricular activies. However, parents maybe inclined to expose or burden their children with a foreign language.

In some cases, the assumption that “If my child can speak English, it should be enough” makes light of the potential benefits of having your child take up Korean or Spanish in school.

This article is no insisting on taking up a foreign language but merely to state the benefits that a child could potential posses with a foreign language.

1. Global Understanding & Citizenry

Acquiring a foreign language allows for students to gain real access to a foreign culture and helps them to gain a further understanding of different communities and cultures around the world.

The unique ability to converse and understand in a foreign language allows students to step into the context and perspective of another culture. This allows for students to relate to a foreign culture and exercise global citizenry that reflects a world that is seemingly more globalized.

2. Employment Opportunities

As with a globalised world, the mastery of a foreign language is key in gaining a competitive edge in the future. While English remains to a larger extent the global language, the ability to converse in Mandarin, Korean, Russian or French would be an additional feather in the cap of future job seekers in a much more competitive job market.

A foreign language would open employment doors for the children of today as businesses and people are in constant interaction and finding a common bridge in communication would come in the form of language skills that future jobseekers posses.

3. Academic & Cognitive Development Benefits

A study titled “The Benefits of Second Language Study” have also shown that students who have acquired a foreign language in secondary school perform better academically in tertiary education.

Mathematics and English were particularly the main areas in which researcher found individuals learning a foreign language to excel better in contrast to students who do not learn an additional foreign language.

Furthermore, children who are exposed to a foreign language at a young age have show to achieve higher levels of cognitive development alongside better memory and listening skills.

4. The Mastery of English

Mastering a foreign language allows for students to further improve their English as the learning process provides focus onto the mechanics of the language which translate to a greater awareness on the grammar and language structure.

This gives students the benefit of transferring the acquired skills onto the English language and promotes a greater achievement with the language.

5. Health Benefits

Research has also shown that students who have the mastery of two or more languages can help delay the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s in the latter stages of life.

The studies have shown that adults who take up two or more languages are able to stave off dementia by three to four years in total.