Is Bilingual Education Good?
Many parents wonder whether or not it is wise to offer their children a bilingual education. Is this educational proposal beneficial? What are the benefits of a bilingual education?
Bilingual education facilitates the learning of two languages simultaneously; In most cases, the programs are structured to divide the class period into two different times for each of the languages.
Next, we will look at the pros and cons of bilingual education:
Advantages of bilingual education
These would be the benefits of learning in classrooms in two languages at the same time:
- Children who participate in bilingual education programs learn a second language more quickly than adults. This rapid learning is possible because little ones must process low levels of complex information; And, of course, they have fewer problems with embarrassment and stage fright than adults.
- Simultaneous language learning enhances the ability to accept and celebrate diversity ; In addition, it is a great opportunity to learn from differences, instead of feeling fear and discriminating.
- Bilingual education offers students opportunities for the future by expanding their career opportunities. Knowledge of a second language can add up to 20% to a worker’s salary annually; remember that we are in an interconnected and diverse world.
Brain, memory and concentration
- A bilingual education encourages brain development . The part of the brain that is responsible for learning new things and fostering spatial growth can be further stimulated with bilingual education. That training leads to increased brain growth to do simultaneous tasks.
- It stimulates the concentration of the students and, of course, the learning in general of the individual. Each language learned enhances the learning of another language fluently and with greater speed and ease.
- Improves memory capacity, as it provides the student with greater capacity to process new information: concepts, experiences, etc.
- There are many personality benefits that children can gain by learning to speak multiple languages. Those who show the ability to handle such learning increase their ability to process new sounds; especially those who use separate languages regularly.
- These children are also much less likely to experience personality disorders, including anxiety. They are generally less lonely than their counterparts who speak only one language; consequently they have high levels of self-esteem.
- Stimulates the desire for knowledge and creates study abroad opportunities; Furthermore, it fosters enriching personal experiences when interacting with other cultures; All of this contributes to developing a well-rounded individual.
Disadvantages of bilingual education
Not all are advantages and benefits when it comes to this type of education. There are also some drawbacks, which we will see below:
- One of the most frequent arguments against bilingual education is that it causes students to not feel fully identified with their local culture.
- It tends to widen the culture gap rather than narrow it and adds complexity to other subjects like math and science.
- Forcing the child to learn a second language will limit the time and effort to perform other tasks and this could affect their true potential; parents should be on the lookout for any warning signs in this regard.
- A problem that has been pointed out in bilingual education is the absence of qualified teachers; this type of educational program requires expert teachers, dedicated exclusively to this task.
- In some cases, bilingual education is delivered inconsistently; However, some educational centers stop and do not apply it every day. For the learning of a second language to be effective, it must be constant, daily and it must last the entire career.
- Second language learning programs are being scaled down due to their high cost. An educational program taught in a single language is easier and cheaper.
We have outlined here the main advantages and disadvantages of bilingual education. In conclusion, the decision will be the most adjusted to the needs of the child and the environment.
The Spanish case is emblematic in this regard, since it ranges from the teaching of a single language to bilingual education; it even incorporates trilingual teaching: Spanish, regional language and English.
