Benefits of Bilingualism

Speech pathologists offer parents real-world advice on how to incorporate a second language with their kids at home — and demystify a misconception about bilingualism.

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order designating English the official language of the country, the first time for such a declaration in U.S. history, and leaders from around Eastern WA shared their thoughts.

It is common for parents to worry about raising a child to be multilingual. They may wonder, am I harming my child’s English if I speak another language at home?

In this edition of the Indy Education newsletter, a Las Vegas elementary school program is helping students embrace being bilingual.

New psychology research indicates that multilingual children may have enhanced executive function and perspective taking skills.

Bilingual individuals with Alzheimer’s disease showed preserved hippocampal volume compared to monolinguals, suggesting bilingualism may provide brain maintenance benefits.

What would you say if I told you that 60 of the world's population possess a skill which allows them to have better : communication, creativity and…

Researchers in Montreal are pointing to the benefits of bilingualism for the brain's health and efficiency — suggesting it could even help prevent diseases associated with aging, including Alzheimer's.

A study shows that bilingualism may contribute to brain resilience in older adults. Researchers found that bilingual Alzheimer's patients had larger hippocampi than monolinguals.

Why bilingualism can work wonders for your brain %

Bilingualism has a profound impact on the structure and function of the brain, but it is not yet well understood how this experience influences brain functional organization. We examine a large sample (151 participants) of monolinguals and bilinguals with varied age of second language acquisition, who underwent resting-state functional magnetic brain imaging. Whole-brain network analyses reveal higher global efficiency in bilingual individuals than monolinguals, indicating enhanced functional integration in the bilingual brain. Moreover, the age at which the second language was acquired correlated with this increased efficiency, suggesting that earlier exposure to a second language has lasting positive effects on brain functional organization. Further investigation using the network-based statistics approach indicates that this effect is primarily driven by heightened functional connectivity between association networks and the cerebellum. These findings show that the timing of bilingual learning experience alters the brain functional organization at both global and local levels. Early bilinguals showed greater brain network efficiency, driven by increased inter-hemispheric cortico-cerebellar functional connectivity, compared to monolinguals.

Without Googling, how many P-12 students would you guess are learning English in public schools? A couple hundred thousand? A couple million? Tr

There are cognitive and neurological benefits to bilingualism, according to a 2012 study published in the journal Cerebrum.

From classroom practice to family engagement, this article explains how early years educators can support EAL children

Language learning isn’t just a skill—it’s a gateway to opportunity. In the US, where over 350 languages are spoken, multilingualism is increasingly vital in industries like healthcare, construction, and technology. The Global Seal of Biliteracy is a transformative credential that recognizes bilingual proficiency and equips students with a tangible career advantage. For career and technical education (CTE) students, this international certification goes beyond recognition: it validates their skills and positions them to meet the growing demand for multilingual professionals. Often earned before high school graduation, the Global Seal serves as a student’s first working credential, paving the way for success

Bilingualism boosts cognitive skills in autistic children, enhancing executive function and perspective-taking.

Nearly 22% of Americans speak a language other than English at home; many are English and Spanish speakers from immigrant families. Yet many children from immigrant families struggle to develop or maintain proficiency in two languages. Some may lose their heritage language in favor of English; others may fall behind in schools where their progress is evaluated only in English. Can we fix these problems?

Researchers said California should follow Texas' lead and require districts with large numbers of English learners to offer bilingual education.

Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to build connections within itself, adapting to the surrounding environment. The brain is most plastic in childhood, forming new pathways in reaction to stimuli such as language. Past research has shown that learning a second language may positively affect attention, healthy aging, and even recovery after brain injury. A new study from the Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) of McGill University, the University of Ottawa, and the University of Zaragoza in Spain elaborates on bilingualism’s role in cognition, showing increased efficiency of communication between brain regions. Scientists recruited 151 participants who either spoke French, English, or

New ELs in Delaware help boost the academic performance of students in receiving schools.

Kids from immigrant backgrounds in the US often struggle to develop fluency in two languages. Many factors — parental misconceptions, the lack of support in schools and social attitudes — play a role.

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School is back in session and many students are in dual-language or bilingual programs. We hear from educators about the wide-ranging benefits of bilingual education.