We Should Raise Our Kids Bilingual

The other day I was flying from Torreon to Mexico City. In the seat next to me was a woman with a toddler on her lap. She was speaking to him in Spanish, but showing him both English and Spanish cartoons. She was prompting him to answer the questions in the cartoon in English, and then with the Spanish cartoon, she did the same in Spanish. I think it’s extremely wise of her to raise her son bilingual starting from the age he is just starting to talk.

We should all raise our kids to be bilingual. I’ve always been jealous of my friends who speak another language at home. They started young, so they have no accent in either language. It’s so much easier for them to speak 2 languages, and even learn more down the road.

Plenty of other countries start implementing language classes at an elementary school level. It leads to more job opportunities in the future. The more languages you know, the more sources you can get information from and the more people you can interact with. Languages allow plenty of opportunities to come through the door.

But not only does it lead to more opportunities, it can give people a more worldly view. They can connect with other cultures, watch their films and TV shows, listen to their music, and read their literature.

The only part about Mexico I didn’t like was the language barrier. I wish I spoke Spanish so I could have really enjoyed their culture fully.

When I have kids somewhere down the line, I’m definitely raising them bilingual. Studies have shown that kids who know 2 languages score higher on tests of creativity and problem-solving. The older you get, the harder it is to learn a language, and I want my kids to have every advantage possible.