Learning a second language allows the compression and use of that language at different levels depending on what your practice is working on. While it is true that being bilingual is not something that can be achieved from one day to the next, it requires a lot of work. It is also better to start studying a second language since childhood.
My first language is Spanish and my second is English, and I am currently learning Italian. I lived my whole life in Guatemala, speaking Spanish with my friends and family and English at school. A very large portion of schools in Latin America learns Spanish and English for the most part since childhood. This is because America has such a strong influence worldwide on many different levels that it unconsciously forces us to learn English in order to accommodate the newest technology, movies, and much more. It is so interesting how I always find myself thinking in Spanish and answering with bare difficulty in English and the other way around. Many people cannot believe this but I am actually a better writer in English than in my native language, but when I do math I use terms and say the numbers in Spanish. It is confusing at times but it can be fun sometimes. Â
Now knowing more than one language has a very positive point in the intellect of children because it allows a more acute mental development. The fact of learning two languages at the same time does not mean that the child can get confused. On the contrary, the child learns from an early age to use the appropriate language at all times, in addition to achieving a high level of concentration. It has been proven through American studies that monolingual children tend to be more easily distracted than bilingual children. Speaking two languages means opening the mind to more than one culture or way of life. This provides a very enriching information, in addition to creating a very positive culture awareness. It allows a better understanding of the customs and experiences of another country.
Equally, it is a sum of positive realities. The fact of managing two languages opens the doors to a better understanding of a third language. Bilinguals have more skills to learn a new language than monolinguals.
The economic advantages of being bilingual are obvious. More and more job offers are asking for people to master a second language. Speaking perfectly a second language opens more doors for a global labor market. Not only is it easier to find a job, but the bilingual can occupy a high position within the company. Mastering another language is the best option to live or work abroad. The best way to begin to master a language in a more adult age is to live in the country where the same language is spoken. Despite the fact that the majority of the population of the US is bilingual, many Americans choose to stick to only one language with the belief that others must learn theirs.Â