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UESCenglishQUEST is part of the resources provided by the staff of the extension project Making the teaching of English more dynamic at UESC. You are welcome to interact with us. Join us! Esse blog faz parte do projeto de extensão Dinamizando o ensino da língua inglesa na UESC. Sintam-se à vontade para interagir com os recursos oferecidos aqui. Juntem-se a nós!

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

The Benefits of Bilingualism


Dear UESCenglishQUEST users,

Aside from the practical benefits of speaking two languages, did you know that it also makes you smarter? Now of course this is all relative to the individual, but it has been scientifically studied and noted that being bilingual has the ability to improve cognitive skills unrelated to language. These findings have been summarized in a recent article from The New York Times titled, "Why Bilinguals Are Smarter." In addition, individuals with a higher degree of bilingualism were found to be more resistant than others to the onset of dementia and other symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. 

In the past, researchers, educators, and policy makers have viewed bilingualism as an interference in the learning process, because it was thought that one language obstructed the other; thus hindering a person's academic and intellectual development. Today, the benefits of bilingualism have been studied at various levels of human development, from infancy to adulthood, and the results have been promising. Learning a new language may be difficult at times, but the benefits are well worth the effort.

The Benefits of Bilingualism

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