Individual Benefits

The Multilingual Brain

First, let’s consider the benefits to your own physical body. Did you know that learning languages can actually change the way your brain appears and functions? When learning a second language, we challenge our brains in a way that not much else can. We have a unique opportunity for cognitive development. This Ted ED video by Mia Nacamulli explains how learning additional languages at any age can positively affect the brain.

According to Wei et al. (2024), there actually isn’t much change in the brain in the first phase of second language learning, but as we continue our journey the white matter subnetworks in our brains change significantly. The plasticity in white matter language networks allows for more efficient interaction between the language areas within and between each hemisphere. Bak et al. (2014) further suggest that these positive effects on the brain of bilinguals can even help our brains fight age-related cognitive decline. In this study, 262 participants were tested in a variety of areas such as memory and speed of information processing. Individuals who were bilingual showed a decreased rate of cognitive decline (such as in IQ over time) when compared to individuals who didn’t speak a second language. The results were comparable to those of individuals who practiced other health-preserving habits such as regular physical fitness or abstaining from smoking. These results became even more apparent the more languages that the participants knew.

Another relevant study to support the point of cognitive development is by Bialystok et al. (2012). This research shows that bilingual children outperform their monolingual peers in tasks involving executive function, which includes abilities like attention management, reasoning, and flexible problem-solving. Their ability in excelling in these tasks is likely because of the way they deal with the challenges that they face in juggling and mastering two languages.

Increased Job Opportunities

Another personal benefit to you as a bilingual or multilingual person is your increased employment and career opportunities. With the seemingly never-ending expansion of careers in global markets, bilingual employees are increasingly valuable for both public and private employers hoping to extend their reach. Knowledge of another language and culture can help you to stand out as a candidate and open opportunities that otherwise may not have been possible.

The educational report “Bilingual job statistics: demand soars, pay increases, career advantages” (Eser, 2024), published on a website named Zipdo that provides comprehensive market data and statistics, highlights the following facts for job seekers in the U.S.:

• 1 in 5 job postings in the United States require or prefer bilingual candidates.
• Bilingual employees can earn 5-20% more per hour than their monolingual counterparts.
• Their job opportunities have also skyrocketed by 30% in the last five years. With a 35% higher chance of being hired, bilingual employees are clearly paving the way to success – and lets not forget the 50% higher chance of landing that coveted leadership role (Eser, 2024).

Moreover, in a review of relevant studies, Churkina et al. (2023) point out that knowing the language of a host country increases the job prospects in that region. They write, “Research on language and earnings has been conducted in the US, Canada, Germany, Australia, India, and Israel. There is broad consensus that lack of proficiency in the host language worsens […] job market prospects” (p. 4).

Benefits to Communities

Beyond these benefits to the self, learning additional languages provides deeper connections to and among people from different cultures and communities. It allows you to learn about different ways of thinking and living, and helps you understand your own culture as well.

Building Social Connections

Chen and Padilla (2019) offer a framework called the GEAR Model that emphasizes the role of bilingualism and biculturalism as assets in positive psychology. They classify these assets into four positive dimensions: psychological Growth; cognitive Exploration; linguistic Awareness; and social Reinforcement (p. 1).

The social reinforcement dimension in particular focuses on the benefits of bilingualism in terms of building social connections. It explains that people with bilingual proficiencies are better at navigating diverse social environments with their adaptability skills. Just as they can switch between languages, they become adept at navigating different cultures as well. The authors note that, “Research on the social effects of bilingualism has consistently shown that speaking more than one language increases one’s ability to respect more linguistic and racial diversity” (p. 6).

Language learners can also build community in ways not limited to interacting with L1 users of the target language. Learners can form relationships with other learners based on mutual understanding of the joys and challenges of studying a second language, especially those studying the same language.

These communities can be built in-person inside or outside the country of study, as well as online through platforms such as Facebook or HelloTalk.  Not only do these relationships contribute to learning the language itself, but they can also often support motivation to keep learning.

Studying or Working Abroad

One important way to build social connections across communities is to study, work, or live abroad. There are many opportunities that will allow you to move abroad temporarily such as joining a study abroad program like Rotary (see Chapter 4), or teaching English in another country. However, did you know that there are many other ways to live abroad? Some of these options are open to both speakers and non-speakers of the local language, but the options only widen the more familiar you are with the native tongue.

Organizations like WWOOF and International Volunteer HQ allow you to volunteer abroad in exchange for room and board accommodations. Often, these programs won’t require many hours of volunteering, giving you an opportunity to explore your country of interest and experience the culture not only within the home of your host but out in whatever city you may be in.

Even if you already have a job in your home country, many industries with global connections are open to transferring employees to international branches based on experience if it benefits the company. Having the background knowledge of a language or culture will, in most cases, greatly increase the possibility to get transferred to the country of that language or culture.

Benefits to Social Justice

As we explored in Chapter 3, there are reasons to learn a language beyond the more general individual and social benefits. By learning a second language you can also be contributing to social justice. When we value the existence and use of multiple languages in the world, we are respecting human diversity and history. This becomes particularly evident when we consider minoritized and endangered languages.

For example, at a macro level we can support linguistic rights at the governmental and educational levels. When children from minoritized language communities are able to access education in their first languages, for example, they are more successful in school. When these same speakers see their home languages valued and appreciated in public life beyond school, their identities and feelings of belonging can be strengthened. Recall Halima’s story in Chapter 1 where she tells how her teachers enforced the use of English and Urdu over her home language Punjabi.

Similarly, in situations involving refugees, asylum seekers, or other language learners moving to a new country under unforeseen circumstances, we can advocate for access to language materials in multiple languages. This provides greater access to health care resources and other governmental benefits. Finally, supporting efforts to revitalize endangered languages is another way to engage in linguistic social justice, whether or not you actually participate in the revitalization efforts yourself.

At a micro level, we can see how being open to and even promoting linguistic practices such as translanguaging in schools or other domains can support social justice. Ateek (2024) suggests that using translanguaging as a transformative pedagogy in schools can “serve as a participatory approach and a drive to social justice” (p. 172). Students who can use their home languages in schools, for example, have greater access to comprehension of the content they are learning while navigating their multilingual identities more confidently.

Another example of promoting everyday linguistic justice can be seen in the role of bilingual people who serve as “language brokers” (linguistic and cultural translators), common in immigrant families or in families who speak minoritized languages. As explained by Chen and Padilla (2019), “The ability to serve as a language broker is an another example of an asset brought on by bilingualism [… It] reinforces the social connection by bringing together people of different ages and backgrounds who otherwise might not interact with each other and thereby facilitating communication in a positive way across language barriers within and between ethnic groups” (p. 7). This means that people who are able to use multiple languages can level the playing field and create a welcoming environment for others who do not speak those languages.

Back to Benefits to Your Self

Chen, X., & Padilla, A. M. (2019). Role of bilingualism and biculturalism as assets in positive psychology: Conceptual dynamic gear model. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2122. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02122

Eser, A. (2024, July 25). Bilingual job statistics: Demand soars, pay increases, career advantages. Zipdo. Retrieved August 5, 2024, from https://zipdo.co/bilingual-job-statistics/

Churkina, O., Nazareno, L., & Zullo, M. (2023). The labor market outcomes of bilinguals in the United States: Accumulation and returns effects. Plos One, 18(6), e0287711. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287711

Scott, E. (2023, December 06). How to be a better person? Verywell Mind. Retrieved 2024, August 05, from https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-be-a-better-person-4167628

Wei, X., Gunter, T. C., Adamson, H., Schwendemann, M., Friederici, A. D., Goucha, T., & Anwander, A. (2024). White matter plasticity during second language learning within and across hemispheres. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(2), e2306286121.  https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2306286121