OTHER benefits
EducationBilingual students are able to better associate the language with its culture by participating in study abroad programs through their schools. As businesses are growing internationally, study abroad programs during high school and college are becoming more common. Studying abroad in a foreign country is an excellent way to expand one’s knowledge of the country’s language and culture. If a student already knows the language before studying abroad, he or she will feel more comfortable upon arrival in the foreign country.
|
Culture
As technology is advancing and businesses are becoming more global, many countries are emphasizing the importance of teaching cultural and international affairs in schools. As other countries are advancing, the United States seems to be falling behind in these categories. According to a studies by the Asia Society and the National Geographic Society, American students are next to last when ranked against students in eight other industrial countries on the students’ knowledge of current affairs (Stewart 230). By learning another language, students can get a first hand look at how other cultures and countries do things differently than what the students are accustomed to. Learning a second or third language does not just consist of memorizing vocabulary and learning grammar rules. In order to fully study another language, one must place that vocabulary and grammar rules into the context of the culture associated with the language (Parisi).
|
TravelBilingualism also makes traveling to foreign places easier and more interactive. Knowing multiple languages increases the number of places one can travel and communicate. When people can speak the language of the country they are visiting, they can have more personal interactions with the locals, and they can focus more on adventuring than trying to figure out what signs say. Bilinguals do not have to search for someone in the foreign country that speaks the traveler’s native language in order to figure out plans for the day. The bilingual person can read signs and pamphlets on his or her own, and this could save a significant amount of time in the long run. When people know the language and culture of the travel destination that they are going to, they can dive much deeper into the history and places throughout the country. When one doesn’t know the language or culture, he or she is often labeled as a tourist and most likely sticks out like a sore thumb in crowds (Parisi).
|
Photo used under Creative Commons from andymag