Advantages of Bilingualism

Does the language you speak affect how you think about the world? Listening, speaking, reading and writing are four of the most essential steps for people learning a new language. Language is very important in any culture; it is a person’s identity. When a student is enrolled in bilingual education, many people view this as a great opportunity to enrich one’s knowledge and cultural diversity, while others may view bilingual education as a useless investment by the government. The difference in opinions on bilingual education depends upon each individual’s perspective on the subject. Language is so important and humans should share the natural desire to learn more than one in a society where communication is key. Bilingual education would provide an overall growth of all students enrolled in the program as well as providing many generations to come with exposure to cultural diversity. Of the many advantages of bilingualism, much is within culture, business and cognitive benefits. The language of one country is different from the other country and it tells the features of the country which distinguish it from one company to another. Languages shape the way people perceive the world and it also provides help to define culture of any society. There are countries in which more than one language is spoken; you will find more than one culture in that society. For example Canada has the English-speaking and French-speaking culture. Due to the dominance of English-speaking culture there are some conflict between English-speaking cultures and French-speaking culture. In Belgium there are two types of speakers one is Flemish-speakers and second is French-speakers. Similarly in Spain there are two cultures one is Basque-speaking and the second is Spanish-speaking. The most widely spoken language in the world is English and it is followed by French, Spanish, Chinese and Hindi. Many believe that a global language could help to further peace and harmony in the world by allowing free communication helps people to understand other people and their culture. The more links and common cultural references that exist between people, the less likely they are to want to attack one another. However, language is often seen as a badge of identity and more conflict may be created if the global community is seen to prefer one language over another. Even ‘neutral’ languages like Esperanto use the Latin alphabet and are based on Romance grammar rules. These do not reflect global diversity and can be especially difficult to learn for those whose languages do not use words or alphabets but rather characters like Chinese or Japanese. If groups or individuals feel unable to express themselves or are ignored because they do so outside the official language they are likely to feel frustrated and angry. From personal experience growing up in a bilingual home is an advantage due to cultural diversity. To be able to visit my parent’s homeland, the Fiji Islands and being able to communicate with everyone although many know some little English is truly a remarkable experience considering translation is not always successful in preserving ideas. If more people were bilingual we don’t risk cutting off from historical documents and literature in old language. A perfect example would be Daniel Everett’s article “endangered languages, lost knowledge and the future.” Understanding of some languages may be lost altogether if they are not spoken every day.
English is becoming the international language of the business. When businessman from different culture gets together for some business deal they use to communicate in English. Sometimes it happens that one word when translated in two languages have different meanings. So the language is very important for the international business. Language is obviously a vital tool. Not only is it a means of communicating thoughts and ideas, but it forges friendships, cultural ties, and economic relationships. Throughout history, many have reflected on the importance of language. For instance, the scholar Benjamin Whorf has noted that language shapes thoughts and emotions, determining one’s perception of reality. John Stuart Mill said that "Language is the light of the mind."