Those interested in the cognitive benefits of language immersion may be interested to know that there is a substantial body of research to back up the benefits of early language exposure. Studies have documented a wide range of benefits, including improved cognitive flexibility, critical thinking skills, and non-verbal problem-solving abilities.
Bilingual Children Tend To Have More Diverse Friends
Children with multiple languages and backgrounds tend to have more diverse friends, according to a recent study. The researchers found that bilingual preschoolers had more friends of different ethnicities and linguistic backgrounds. This result may be explained by differences in classroom structure, including language separation. However, it may also have something to do with age. This study is a good first step toward understanding this important difference.
The researchers compared the linguistic backgrounds of bilingual children in the United States. The study used the Language and Social Background Questionnaire for Children to determine children's proficiency in multiple languages. The questionnaire was completed by at least one parent in each child's preferred language. The questionnaire also asked questions about the child's age and parents' language background. The researchers also measured the child's social education status (SES) by measuring the highest educational level of both parents.
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Bilingual preschoolers tend to have more diverse friends than their monolingual counterparts. These findings are consistent with research conducted on children with specific language impairments and may even help us understand why some bilingual children develop better executive functions than their monolingual counterparts.
The study sample was relatively small, with only a small subset of children from Spanish and English-speaking homes. The remaining non-participants were composed of a mixture of Spanish and English-speaking children.
Bilingual Children Absorb Information at Lightning Speed
Bilingual preschoolers are at an advantage because they are able to absorb information at lightning speed. They are also better at social understanding. As they navigate an increasingly complex social environment, bilingual preschoolers demonstrate enhanced sensitivity to features of communication. This advantage translates into lifelong benefits for the child.
In addition, bilingual children are better at solving mental puzzles. For example, they can distinguish objects based on shape or color. Their command centers and the ability to switch their attention also improve. They are also better at tasks that require holding information. As they become older, bilingual preschoolers can start combining the two languages to create new words.
It is important to emphasize that young children's brains are designed for language learning. They are able to detect a change in language as early as six months. Young children also have lower self-consciousness than adults do, making them ideally suited to learn a second language.
Austin Eco Bilingual School specializes in Spanish language immersion programs for preschoolers in Austin, Texas. Children aged 3 months to 6 years can register in these programs and improve their outcomes in a safe & secure social distancing-compliant setting.
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