Bilingual learning is the natural choice for children growing up with two languages at home. However, it has so many benefits that it’s a solid path for children from monolingual families too.
Schools such as Collège Français Bilingue de Londres (CFBL) are helping to improve students’ academic achievement, give them a better understanding of the world around them, and provide young people with more opportunities as they grow up.
Read more about the many benefits of going to a school like CFBL below.
It boosts cognitive development
Research has shown that learning two languages from early childhood has a profound effect on the brain at a physical level. Bilingual people have denser grey matter as well as increased white matter density.
These physical changes in the brain are linked to improvement of skills including communication, creativity, ability to concentrate, and memory function.
Pupils who learn two languages also tend to be better at multitasking, problem solving, and decision making. Research has also found that bilingualism also helps to lower the risk of developing dementia in later life.
It increases academic success
A meta-analysis of 20 studies that examined bilingualism and its impact on academic performance consistently found that language learners perform better across a range of academic subjects than pupils who don’t study a second language.
One of the reasons for this is that learning a second language helps to improve literacy skills. This helps to give bilingual pupils an advantage across the curriculum – including core subjects such as mathematics and science.
It gives pupils more options for further education
Education at a bilingual school will also help your child to become bi-literate. Being able to both read and speak another language opens up the possibilities for further education. Bilingual students have the option of studying abroad, as well as participating in exchange programmes and semesters abroad.
Bilingual students also develop a unique set of skills that are appealing to universities and other further education institutions.
At CFBL, for example, pupils work with two teachers from an early age. Unlike most of the other French bilingual schools in London, CFBL is truly bilingual, delivering 50% of its teachings in French and 50% in English. Learning to switch from one language to another helps pupils to develop the ability to adapt. This is a valuable skill when pupils go onto further education.
Students at CFBL are extremely well prepared for whatever they choose to do next, whether they opt for A-Levels, the French baccalaureate or the International Baccalaureate (IB).
It gives young people wider career and life opportunities
In the current global economy, many international companies are looking for employees who can speak multiple languages. Bilingual candidates are more in demand, especially if their second language is widely spoken.
Bilingual people can often command higher salaries than monolingual people in the same industry. Being bilingual also gives young people the opportunity to travel and work and live abroad.
Travelling and learning about different cultures is an important part of the experience at CFBL. Students have the opportunity to take part in exchange trips, as well as school trips. The school believes that discovering different cultures helps to prepare young people for life after their studies.
It helps children to become global citizens
Learning in a bilingual environment helps children to appreciate the wider world, enabling them to grow up to become global citizens.
CFBL, for example, has students from 35 different nationalities, and a large proportion are from dual national families. This multicultural environment helps pupils at the school to understand and accept each other and their differences.
Helping children to develop a global outlook also makes them more conscious about the world around them. CFBL is a school that cares deeply about the environment and taking steps to save the planet. It earned the Eco Schools Green Flag award in the UK and the EFE3D label in France for its actions and policies to promote sustainability.
Pupils at CFBL are encouraged to develop a sense of responsibility for the world and have the opportunity to take part in many exciting environmental initiatives at school.
Overall, the exposure to different cultures gives young people a wider outlook on the world and helps them to become more well-rounded human beings.
This is a sponsored post created in collaboration with Collège Français Bilingue de Londres, a French Bilingual College in London for pupils aged 3-15.
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