Give your child a head start
Poppy and Buddy tools have been rigorously tested and are academically proven to speed up the process of learning a second language. Remember, the earlier your child begins their language learning journey the greater the rewards and advantages they stand to gain.
Extensive scientific research has shown there are numerous advantages associated with bilingualism. In addition to educational benefits, speaking more than one language brings about significant financial, cultural, and health advantages.
Outlined below are some of the invaluable benefits that bilingualism can bestow upon your child. For further insights, we've provided links to the corresponding research at the bottom of this page.
Educational
Every child has their own abilities and strengths, but a bilingual brain works harder. The extra effort involved in interpreting more than one language builds strength, speed, and efficiency in its executive functioning networks. It’s all to do with how a child’s mind gains flexibility as it learns to multitask. Compared to monolinguals, bilingual children have more developed cognitive abilities, such as:
- Higher scores in cognitive performance on tests
- Attention focus
- Information processing
- Distraction resistance
- Decision-making
- Problem-solving abilities
- Judgement
- Responsiveness to feedback
Brain Health
Being bilingual can delay the onset of dementias, such as Alzheimer's, by an average of 5 years. Bilingualism rewires the brain and improves the executive system, boosting the brain’s cognitive reserve.
Stroke patients are also more likely to regain cognitive functions if they speak more than one language. A recent study of 600 stroke victims found that 40.5% of multilingual had normal mental functions afterwards, compared to only 19.6% of monolinguals.
Financial
As the world becomes more diverse, businesses are interacting with a greater number of people, both employees and customers, who speak more than one language. Being able to conduct business effectively in more than one language is a skill that merits economic rewards.
The financial returns of learning a second language vary by language and role, but they do add up over time. A report by CareerBuilder.com suggested that bilinguals could expect a 5-20% increase in their hourly rate compared with their monolingual peers.
The Economist estimates the value of knowing a second language at up to $128,000 (USD) over 40 years.
Cultural
By helping your child learn your native language or a second language, you give them a gift that keeps tradition and culture alive for the next generation to embrace.
Bilingual children are more likely to show cross-cultural understanding and empathy. They are likely to interact with a greater variety of people and understand the nuances of other cultures. They may also have more opportunities to make friends and try different hobbies.
FURTHER READING
EDUCATION
- Why bilinguals are smarter
- The relation of bilingualism to intelligence.
- Bilingualism and the measurement of intelligence and verbal learning ability.
- The longitudinal effect of bilingual immersion schooling on cognitive control and intelligence.
- Bilingual Effects on Cognitive and Linguistic Development: Role of Language, Cultural Background, and Education
- Bilingual brains better equipped to process information
- The Foreign-Language Effect: Thinking in a Foreign Tongue Reduces Decision Biases
- Bilingualism increases neural response consistency and attentional control: Evidence for sensory and cognitive coupling
BRAIN HEALTH
- Bilingualism as a protection against the onset of symptoms of dementia
- Delaying the onset of Alzheimer's disease: Bilingualism as a form of cognitive reserve
- Bilingualism aids stroke recovery
- Speaking two languages benefits the ageing brain
FINANCIAL
- What is a foreign language worth?
- Foreign language skills provide sharp edge in the job market
- In Job Market, Bilingual Is a Bonus : Employers and Employees Reap Benefits From Workers’ Foreign-Language Skills