With modern society consistently advancing in many areas, one thing that remains constant is the use of language. With over 6,000 languages on the Earth today, communication is an important factor for many aspects of society. Although this a major skill to have, few people are bilingual especially in the United States and continue to put language on the back burner of important skills to obtain. English continues to spread among many cultures so the question remains why even speak another language if English is becoming so universal? The answer is learning a foreign language is useful at any age, but it is best learned at a younger age. 

Learning a new language can be tricky and in many ways, frustrating; however, there is no scientific evidence that suggests language learning diminishes brain growth. It does not cause language confusion, language delay or any cognitive deficits. Based on the information from the Center for Applied Linguistics, the children’s brain is “different from the adult brain in that it is a very dynamic structure that is evolving,” which means that children have the ability to learn a language more efficiently than adults (Curtiss). Dr. Susan Curtiss, Professor of Linguistics at UCLA, explains that “in language development, there is a window of opportunity in which the child learns its first language normally. After this period, the brain becomes slowly less plastic and when the child reaches adolescence, the brain cannot develop any real any real cognitive system” (Curtiss). With this being addressed, children’s brains process their first language like normal. However, within this certain period of their lifetime, they can also process another language effortlessly at the same pace. This proves that children actually have it easier when it comes to learning a language rather than adults. 

With the fact that the brain is more malleable in regards to learning for children, it not only is easier at the early age to learn a new language, but is also beneficial. According to linguistic professors from Cornell University, “teaching young children how to speak a second language is good for their minds” (Lang). Some instances are that children “show an overall success rate of grammatical knowledge” and also the earlier they learn the language the more quickly they “attain [a] nativelike language proficiency” (Lang). The fact that a child can obtain these skills is beneficial to their growth through life and their future successes. Along with this set of strengths, there are also a plethora of others that prove that language taught to children early on is advantageous. A study done a group of third graders in a French immersion program shows that the “immersion students [performed] as well as or better than their English-educated peers on all aspects of English language skills measured by standardized tests” (Swain). This shows that not only are they excelling in their second language, but they are scoring better in English then their monolinguistic counterparts.

The study done on the French Immersion children has not been the only study done on how foreign language effects children. A study done on elementary school kids in southern Texas was similar to the study done on the French immersion program. Spanish-speaking children that were learning English were tested as well and the results were comparable. The children learning English “achieved much higher scores in reading and arithmetic” and also the children’s “superiority was maintained at upper grade levels after they left the program” (McConnell). These tests both showed similarities in that learning another language improved the students reading and math skills along with being able to use those skills with both languages. Not only does this show that children are capable of learning a language at a young age, it shows that it is beneficial for children to take language courses at a young age, whether it be in an immersion program or just typical language courses. 

Although the benefits of young children learning a second language proves the importance of language on the world, there are plenty more benefits to learning a language for adults as well, rather than just for children. Learning a language helps strengthens your brain and it also helps prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. A disease that affects millions of Americans of all ages can be avoided by learning a second language. Anne Merritt, from The Telegraph, states that several studies have shown that “for monolingual adults the mean age for the first signs of dementia is 71.4. For adults who speak two or more languages, the mean age for those first signs is 75.5” (Merritt). This statistic displays the affects that learning a foreign language has on debilitating diseases. Although it does not completely ward off these diseases, they combat the signs of these diseases by a deficit of 4 years. This massive difference in ages speaks for itself when it shows how bilingualism can fend off these diseases that affect millions of Americans on a daily basis. 

Along with the above benefit of learning a foreign language, other advantages to bilingualism exist. As proven above with the study regarding the elementary school children taking standardized tests, learning another language can help improve your first language. In the same article from The Telegraph, Anne Merritt explains that learning foreign language “draws your focus to the mechanics of language: grammar, conjugations, and sentence structure” (Merritt). She says that all these skills can make an individual a more “effective communicator and a sharper editor and writer” and “have a better ear for listening, since [they are] skilled at distinguishing meaning from discreet sounds” (Merritt). A person using these skills in their everyday life is valuable because they can help in their certain careers, in the social aspect of their life and in their relationships. She also states within the article that an individual can build multitasking skills by learning a foreign language. Multilingual people are able to switch from two systems of speech, writing, and also structure. According to a study from the Pennsylvania State University, this skill “makes them good multitaskers, because they can easily switch between different structures” (Kroll). This skill can help within an individual’s mundane life such as driving, by being able to not be distracted by one thing, or using it in their job, by being able to balance two or more tasks at one time. 

Learning a language exercises many different parts of the brain, such as vocabulary, sentence structure, listening, speaking, learning certain rules and many other areas. Exercising these parts of the brain help “improve overall memory, which means that multiple language speakers are better at remembering [certain] lists or sequences” says Anne Merritt (Merritt). Being bilingual helps improve memory, which is an important skill to have when it comes to smaller and more minute aspects of life. With this small yet important skill that comes along with learning a second language, a study from the University of Chicago shows that “bilinguals tend to make more rational decisions” (Woodruff). Not only are they able to make these decisions, but they are more confident in their choices “after thinking it over in the second language and seeing whether their initial conclusions still stand up” (Woodruff). Although this also seems small in comparison to other benefits learning a foreign language provides, these small skills can add up and be the difference between getting a certain position in a company or organization rather than not. Being able to memorize certain words, phrases or experiences and also being able to make rational decisions are all skills that are overlooked, but are also important in everyday life. 

Learning certain skills can also help with how an individual immerses themselves in a culture. Culture and language essentially go hand and hand with one another. Without a specific language, that culture would, for the most part, be extinct. Many foreigners come to the United States for a degree at an institution for higher education. Within the novel Building Strategic Language Ability Programs, the author explains how certain Chinese law firms would contact certain American firms and negotiate deals. He states that the people at the Chinese law firm “were at least half a dozen individuals [that] had degrees (many advanced degrees) from the U.S., who lived many years in the U.S., and who were well versed in American cultural practices and negotiating techniques. And, of course, many had excellent English language skills, using interpreters for strategic reasons only” (Weston). He says that the Americans relied heavily on their own interpreter to help dissolve tensions, because they had a hard time understanding the opposite language and certain business practices. Because the Chinese had come to America and delved into the American culture, they found comfort in their own positions to negotiate with Americans, because they not only understood the language, but they understood the culture. 

Understanding culture can help immensely on international business and being appropriate and respectful to people who are different. A TED Talk by John McWhorter discusses culture as a reason to learn a language. He discusses four specific reasons as to why learning a language is important, but one on that list strikes out from the others. He says “if you want to imbibe a culture, if you want to drink it in…, you have to control to some degree the language that the culture happens to be conducted in. [There is] no other way” (McWhorter). As he addresses the audience, he gives an example from a movie where the characters are introduced as French-speaking and they appear loveable and vibrant, however one is rushed to an American hospital where they have to speak English, although they would rather not. They appear slower and less spirited and then they are starting to be disliked. He says that “to go into a culture and to only ever process people through that kind of scrim curtain is to never truly get the culture” (McWhorter). To really appreciate and understand a culture, a person has to understand the language first. 

Along with understanding culture and being respectful of others, learning a foreign language can help improve foreign relations between nations. According to the former Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, in order for the United States to “prosper economically and to improve relations with other countries, Americans need to read speak and understand other languages” (Cahoon). When someone so vital to the American government system exclaims that Americans need to start learning language to help the United States flourish, it helps emphasize the importance of this issue. Only 18 percent of Americans are “well versed in a language other than English, while 53 percent of our European counterparts can speak at least two languages” (Cahoon). This shows the low percentage of Americans that can understand a second language. Cahoon also states that the United States is lacking in “diplomats, politicians, military and business leaders…” (Cahoon). In order for people to qualify for these certain positions, they are required to speak a second language. With the shortage of influential positions in the United States, language continues to present its importance for not just Americans, but for the citizens of the world. 

A majority of Americans believe that learning a foreign language is un-American and English should be the national language of the United States. With America being a nation founded by different groups of immigrants and it also being a melting pot of a vast spectrum of nationalities and ethnicities, having one specific language seems futile when America has so much diversity. With some people believing that learning a foreign language is un-American, the fact that learning a language can help improve foreign relations shows how patriotic that can be. With the United States being a world super power, surely improving foreign relations with other countries would not be an act of treason, considering how crucial developing alliances is on the global scale. 

Not only will having people learn a foreign language help the country prosper in regards to foreign relations, but it will also help the country excel in an economic aspect. Based on the information presented by Claire Cahoon, a study done by an MIT economist found that “an American who learns a foreign language gets an average earnings bonus of 2 percent. When applied to the average college graduate’s starting salary of around $45,000, this 2 percent adds an additional $67,000 to the graduate’s lifetime earnings” (Cahoon). This not only displays how people earn more if they are knowledgeable in another language, but it also improves the United States’ GDP per capita. Making more money benefits the individual and also the United States economy.

Although the list of benefits to learning a foreign language has a plethora of information pertaining to it, some people argue vehemently that learning a foreign language is not a benefit, but rather an inconvenience. John McMillan, a student trying to obtain his Ph.D. in American history, discussed his frustration towards trying to finish his degree. Right as he was about to graduate, the university noticed he had not fulfilled his language requirements. He was furious, because he does not need to learn basic grammar and vocabulary in an intermediate level language course for his major. (McMillian) Although this is a major inconvenience for people who do not need language for where they are going on their career path, had his school system taught language earlier on he would have been able to place out of courses like this and these requirements would not be an issue. 

Along with the issue of taking unnecessary credits in higher education courses, people who argue against foreign language explain that it is a waste of time and money. A quote from a high school teacher states that “language study is complete nonsense for most people. [They’d] wager close to 80 percent of kids taking foreign languages in high school do so because they have to” (Matthews). This shows how little students now value their education when it comes to foreign language and how little teachers and professors do to stress the importance of learning this second language. The fact that students are only involved in language study because they are required to do so for their diploma requirements reveals that educators and students alike are unaware of all the benefits that a foreign language brings for people who are willing to learn that certain language. 

The pros of learning a second language have proved to be a much longer list than the cons. With benefits such as having a smarter mind, fighting of debilitating diseases, immersing yourself in another culture, and also improving the United States economy, learning a second language is valuable in a variety of different fields. For many years, professors and authors have been proving that this is beneficial yet many people have no idea the effects that bilingualism holds. Learning these set of skills can help improve the lives of many people. Although it takes hard work and dedication to fully comprehend an entire new language, it will eventually pay off in the long run. 
