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In a world that is increasingly global and a country like Canada that is growing even more multicultural, learning a second and even third language at private school has huge benefits:
Expression
With more words and phrases at their disposal, bilingual people develop the ability to think creatively and flexibly, and can more properly express their thoughts to a variety of people. They often enjoy a wider range of books, poetry and other cultural expressions rendered inaccessible to unilingual people. They may also feel a stronger connection to their ancestry from studying their family’s language and culture.
Cognitive development
It has been found that people who can speak two or more languages are less easily distracted and have more mental capacity for storing information than their unilingual counterparts. Bilingualism also helps offset declines in mental performance that comes with age. Bilingual people tend to show a higher performance in examinations and tests and higher IQ scores.
Employability
The global nature of today’s business world requires employees who can connect between cultures and break through language barriers. In Canada, bilingual workers are less likely to be unemployed, can enter the job market more easily and can switch jobs more easily than unilingual workers.
Source: Bilingualism, aging, and cognitive control: Evidence from the Simon task, 2004.
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