Bilingualism: an Asset or a Burden?
More than half of the population in the world are bilinguals. Bilingualism (the ability to speak and understand more than one language) and biliteracy (the ability to read and write in two languages), according to studies conducted have proven to be key factors in individuals having fortified brains, better attention spans, much efficient task-switching tendencies, better adjustment capabilities to environmental changes and lesser chances of facing cognitive/psychological decline as an aging drawback. Looking at the picture provided, I assume that it represents the brain of a multilingual person with vocabulary from all the different languages that he might be knowing. To me, bilingualism is nothing but a blessing in disguise because it makes me stand out and not blend in; but ironically enough, also blend in! Here’s how.
According to a lot of studies, learning a new language is a very mentally stimulating activity to indulge it. It makes your brain sharper and more alert. I can give testimony that this statement is absolutely true. I realized that while I was learning French for a whole year when I was eighteen years old, my comprehension in other classes improved too. I suddenly became more attentive during lectures and understood concepts efficiently. Other than that, I could retain things to memory effortlessly.
Secondly, bilinguals tend to have better and greater chances of finding and getting exceptionally good jobs as it opens new arenas for them to explore and unveils new career prospects to look into. Their likelihood of getting into an international firm that deals with foreign clientele are much more than a monolingual, per se. Therefore, you become more desirable in the job market. Bilinguals are able to communicate with a variety of people and hence have greater chances of enjoying a fulfilling social life because of their ability to understand more languages than an average monolingual.
Oftentimes, they are also good conversationalists because they know how to initiate a conversation with an array of people with different cultures and languages and are sub-consciously, more accepting towards them too. I have seen people around me who are effective bilingual speakers relishing the perks of a well-paid job because of being gregarious and extremely sought-after in their social circle, simply for their creativity and attractive personalities that their bilingualism endowed them with.
Moreover, traveling around the world becomes a more pleasurable experience if you’re bi- or multi-lingual. Imagine what an undesirable experience it would be if you plan on going globetrotting, lost your way in the middle of somewhere, and can’t even ask for directions from a local! To truly devour in and imbibe the essence of a place, one should at least be able to have an immersive conversation with the dwellers of that place. Being bilingual, gives you a chance to do just that and for good.
About two and half years too old to be good at technology, but a bit of a self-professed book-nerd! That is exactly how I’ll describe myself. With an undying passion for reading and writing, I’ve landed in RangeInn as a Lifestyle Author. Yeah, that’s my new gig and I’m super excited to be part of the team. My articles are mostly about pop culture, celebrity gossip, entertainment, fashion & beauty, personality & spirituality, food, life hacks, books, movies and basically anything & everything that piques my interest.
Want me to write about something? Leave me a comment to connect with me. I’d love to hear from you!
