Jacqueline Fanchini (Reporter)
WHILE humans continue to collect and process a staggering amount of information through adult life, nothing compares to the ‘sponge-like’ brains of children.
Childrens’ capacity for learning is simply astounding.
This is vital when it comes to language acquisition or, more precisely, multiple language acquisition.
Research shows that anyone exposed to a variety of languages at a young age – at home or school – becomes physiologically different to those who are not.
The process of multi-language acquisition develops a part of the brain that may remain dormant in single-language students.
This is the true value of a bilingual education. Students are encouraged to think differently. Their arguments do not come from a single position but from a range of different perspectives.
It is this open-mindedness that can lead to better problem solving and analytical thinking later in a student’s education.
Obvious practical benefits aside, in terms of living and working worldwide, there are other advantages for multilingual students.
As a business and economics teacher, my belief is that individual employees can bridge the gap between business operations in different countries.
When multinational companies attempt to create managerial economics of scale, they rely on multilingual personnel.
Managerial thinking that is focused on relationship marketing suggests that communicating with diverse customer groups will be increasingly important in the future.
The Costa del Sol is at the forefront of bilingual education, with several quality primary and secondary schools – all with strong language departments.
Students leaving the area for universities around the world are better prepared for a competitive business environment.
