Benefits of Being Bilingual

Essay #2 – Benefits of Being Bilingual: Every person knows one language, which is the language that you learn during your childhood. In “My Spanish Standoff,” Kuntz writes, “my daughter is frustrated by the fact that I’m bilingual and have purposely declined to teach her to speak Spanish, my native tongue.” The information given as well as the information in “English Only, but Where” and “English-Only Classrooms,” has been brought to my attention that being bilingual has advantages. Language is very important in today’s multi-cultural society. Being bilingual leaves people with intellectual growth, greater appreciation to language/culture, and a better ear for listening. There is a positive effect on intellectual growth such as thinking. There are two or more words for each idea and object. For example, the word eat can also be expressed in other words such as consume, feast, chow down, munch, etc. Another language may have fewer words or more to define that idea or object. In Cambodian, the word eat can be expressed in only three different ways; si, ngam, and charom. Figuring out which words to use in a speech makes you to think which results in intellectual growth. According to “Benefits from Being Bilingual,” from www.buzzle.com, knowing “which language to use in a particular situation enhances and enriches a person’s mental development.” Switching from English to another language trains your brain to use it at the right moment. Learning a second language gives you access and exposure to their language and culture. The article “Benefits from Being Bilingual,” from www.buzzle.com states that “knowledge of different languages offers a treasure of traditional and contemporary sayings, idioms, history, and folk stories, music, literature and poetry in different cultures.” It broadens your view to that culture because it is different from Americans. My boyfriend is Laotian and I’ve grown accustomed to their culture through dinners. Laotian culture uses a