1) Native accent
Nowadays when learning a second language, it can be very difficult to pick up the accent along with it. Allowing your child to be exposed to a second language allows them to be more confident and speak a lot more naturally. This is because children are very good at picking up different tones, allowing them to copy accents better. As your child gets older, their ability to pick up new sounds and replicate them becomes more difficult.
2) Social opportunities
Learning a second language allows your child to have a better understanding of different cultures and therefore the ability to form a better relationship with people worldwide. Understanding and appreciating different cultures from such a young age enables them to prepare for making decisions in their professional life which may impact different cultures.
It also allows for a safer environment if they decide to travel as they can communicate with locals, develop friendships and have an awareness of different aspects such as safety.
3) Higher academic achievement
Harvard University states that learning more than one language allows for a child to memorise information a lot more thoroughly. This is an advantage in learning, especially through key periods such as GCSE’S where all knowledge must be retained. Genuinely learning at an early age allows for a better ability to complete tasks, especially by multitasking. It has also been known that children learning a second language early on go on to achieve higher grades in math and standard tests such as SAT’s.
4) Improvement upon your first language
Studying a second language in great depth, allows your child to focus on different aspects of their mother tongue, such as the grammar, sentence structure and spelling. Analysing this improves their ability to communicate with others as they are looking at their language from a different view, something which we don’t think of normally. Concentrating on studying sounds to replace it with a meaning allows for in-depth concentration. This skill is developed through learning and especially with a language, allows for listening skills to improve, allowing for better communication.