Why your Child should be bilingual.

Every parent wants overall development for their Children. This is why we have parents sending their kids to school, engaging in physical activities such as taking them to playgrounds, reading bedtime stories and even helping out with homeworks and so much more. We salute these efforts and so we want to let you in on a secret👀.

Several researches have shown that the brains of monolingual children work differently than the brains of bilingual children. Baker (2002:12) listed some advantages of being bilingual in areas such as communication, culture, cognition, career advantages among others. In this post, we would be sharing two of these benefits and how Karibani can help learn a second language, more importantly an African language easily. 

Cognitive benefits 

One of the foremost benefits of bilingualism in Children is its direct impact on cognitive development and functions. “Cognitive function refers to the mechanism of the brain acquiring information” (Pransiska 2017:391). Thus, learning a second language boosts their problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills and listening skills. Several researches also show that “children who are raised in bilingual environments have been found to have better competence than their monolingual peers at focusing on a task while tuning out disruption”(ibid.).

Socio-emotional skills 

A study from the University of Chicago found that children that speak more than one language are better at “putting themselves in other people’s shoes” and understanding different perspectives. This is because exposing them to a different language exposes them to a different culture that they might have not experienced, and this increases their cultural sensitivity, empathy and tolerance. No wonder bilingual children tend to make more friends and if you’re looking to maintain a connection to family culture and history, bilingualism is the way. 

At Karibani, we make learning African languages such as Swahili, Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa and Shona easier through our live classes and fun learning aids. Our techniques to teaching are conversational and allow faster retention. Help your child learn about their culture and help their overall developmental abilities. It’s a win-win, let’s help you win! 

References

Baker, C. 2011. Foundations of bilingual education and bilingualism (5th Ed.). Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters

Pransiska, R. 2017. Benefits of Bilingualism in Early Childhood: A Booster of Teaching English to Young Learners. Atlantis Press, Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research (ASSEHR), volume 58.