This paper tests whether bilingual children have better cognitive skills than comparable monolingual children. ''Parents deciding on which language to speak to their children often face contradictory recommendations,'' the author says, adding that this new evidence suggests that whatever the root cause of the difference in educational attainment for Latinos in the United States, the need to learn two languages in early years isn''t to blame. In tests designed to test their cognitive skills, they did better, even when their background, schooling or wealth was taken into account. That is the conclusion of research by Ainhoa Aparicio Fenoll, to be presented at the Royal Economic Society''s annual conference at the University of Bristol in April 2017.īy analysing the test scores of American children who were born to Latino immigrants and spoke both English and Spanish, and comparing them with the scores of similar children who spoke only English or only Spanish, the study shows that learning two languages has not held the children back – in fact, the opposite. Parents who worry about confusing their babies by speaking two languages at home don''t need to fret: children between the ages of 3 and 12 who speak two languages do better in cognitive tests than similar kids who only speak one language. While that logic has its obvious flaws, the point is this: bilinguals can use their language skills to help them earn more money in a variety of professions.BILINGUAL CHILDREN DO BETTER IN TESTS: US evidence that speaking two languages in the early years gives kids a head start in life In a 30 year career, that would equal out to be over $200,000 more for speaking a language in addition to English! That is quite the difference just for knowing another language. Per our average number above, while a monolingual EMT may make about $30,360 per year, a bilingual EMT would make over $40,000. It is literally a matter of life and death. In the dozens of positions in the medical industry, is can be just as important for an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) to speak Spanish as well as English in some precincts and situations. With Hispanics nearing 15% of the US population, it only makes sense that someone who speaks English and Spanish and works in a law firm in a position that deals with clients would be well-suited to ask for a bit more money. Working with the public means just that working with a cross section of people who speak a variety of languages. Jobs in the medical profession as well as the legal field give fantastic opportunities for bilinguals to shine. Which Fields Are The Best For Bilinguals To Find Work?Ĭlient-facing industries are great for bilinguals in the United States. The government's goal is to hit 70% bilingualism in graduates, reaffirming the value of bilingualism.Įven with a higher number of bilinguals, an article in TheGlobeAndPost says that bilingual males earn an average of 7% more and women earn 8% more if they speak both official languages in Canada: French and English. In Canada, a much more bilingual country with about 34% of recent graduates speaking more than one language, bilingualism is on the decline. In our English-centric culture we often overlook that bilingualism goes both ways.

It takes into account bilingual speakers who speak English vs their monolingual counterparts who don't speak English.

There are far fewer bilinguals to choose from, so each bilingual has a slightly higher 'value.'.

This wage discrepancy is most likely due to the following two reasons: In the United States, bilinguals earn on average about $7,000 more than monolingual speakers. In Switzerland, bilingualism may not net you more money, however in North America your chances are much greater. One of the most bilingual countries in the world, Switzerland, however, officially recognizes bilingualism as a great advantage. 20% of the population is bilingual, with only about 10% of native-born Americans speaking more than one language.

The United States isn't exactly a hotbed of bilingualism. It's well-known that interpreters and translators parlay their language skill into cash, however the slight-less-well-known side of the coin is that regular jobs can also pay slightly more for someone with a bit of linguistic latitude. Multilingual people earn more money on average than monolinguals even in the United States.

The Business Case For Bilingualism: Why Multilinguals Earn More

Bilingual vs monolingual statistics