Top 6 Regional Languages Spoken in the UK Apart From English

by Hammed Sonny | Nov 17, 2021 | Multilingualism

(Written by Callum Madle and Phoebe Harrison).

When discussing the languages of the British Isles that aren’t English, many people will assume you are referring to the melting pot of foreign languages widely spoken in the region due to immigration, particularly in big cities such as London, Glasgow, and Birmingham, where languages such as Polish, Urdu, Bengali, Arabic, Chinese and Tamil are often commonplace as a native or second language. Yet often overlooked are those languages native to the British Isles themselves, the descendants of the Brythonic and Goidelic branches of the Celtic Language family, first spoken on the isles thousands of years ago and now sadly mostly endangered. Here are the main ones.

Welsh 

Of all the minority languages native to the British Isles, Welsh (or Cymraeg) is somewhat unique – unlike its neighbouring languages, it is the only native British language to not be considered ‘endangered’ by UNESCO, and it still very widely spoken today. As of 2021, estimates show that around 884,300 people in Wales (29.2% of the population) can speak Welsh as both a first or second language, with an additional 110,000 speakers residing in England (as of 2011) and even pockets of around 1,500 speakers in Argentina in the Welsh colony of Chubut. A fairly ancient language, Welsh evolved from the Brythonic strain of the Celtic language tree, the Celtic tongue that was spoken in Wales, Southern Scotland, and England prior to the Roman invasion of 43AD. The Welsh that we recognise began to develop as its own language between 400 and 700 AD and continued to be the main language in Wales even after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. Despite this, Welsh gradually became displaced by English as an ‘official’ language, a fact hastened by Henry VIII’s  1536 Act of Union, where Wales became incorporated into England. Despite these factors, Welsh was still widely used in both spoken and written language, and in the 1911 census, the highest number of Welsh speakers as a percentage of the population was recorded, with over 977,366 speakers, 43.5% of the populace. However, the Welsh language still declined due to growing population movement and communication. It was also still a minority language, with the devastation of the First World War claiming the lives of approximately 20,000 speakers, diminishing it further. Unperturbed by these hardships however, there was a large drive post-Second-World War to revive and maintain the Welsh language. The Welsh Language Act of 1967 permitted the use of Welsh in Welsh courts when presenting evidence, and official forms were also allowed to be written in the language. In 1977, BBC Radio Cymru – a Welsh-language station – was established, and in 1982 the creation of Welsh-language TV channel S4C followed suit, meaning that Welsh now had a place in media and entertainment alongside English. In 1993 and 2003, more measures were introduced (namely, another Welsh Language Act and A National Action Plan for a Bilingual Wales) to solidify the use of Welsh and maintain its use; since then, numbers of Welsh speakers have shown significant stability. Indeed, today Welsh is very often a compulsory subject in Welsh schools between the ages of 5 and 16, and there are also a growing number of Welsh medium schools that use Welsh as their primary teaching language across all subjects. In terms of its specific linguistic features, Welsh shares some similarities with Cornish and Breton, but has characteristics that distinguish it from the other Celtic languages like Gaelic. One of these distinguishing features is the use of consonant mutation, where the first consonant of a word will change depending on the grammatical context in which it is used. Some words and expressions in welsh include bore da (good morning), croeso (welcome), pob lwc (good luck) and iechyd da (cheers!).

Irish

Perhaps the other most widely spoken ‘minority’ language alongside Welsh, Irish Gaelic (Gaeilge) is nevertheless considered ‘definitely endangered’ by UNESCO. According to 2016 figures, 1.76 million people in Ireland claim to speak Irish, with 73,803 doing so daily, 111,473 weekly and 586,535 less often. In Northern Ireland, Gaelic is an official minority language, receiving recognition for the first time under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, with a cross-border body promoting the use of the language in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It became an official language of the European Language in 2005. Irish is a member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages tree and is related to Manx and Scottish Gaelic with a degree of mutual intelligibility between them. Historically, until the 17^th century Gaelic was still the principal language of Ireland but was displaced by English between the 17^th and 20^th century because of British rule there. The language further declined as a result of mass immigration caused by poverty and famine in the 19^th century. However, the creation of the Republic of Ireland in 1922 meant that Irish was once again adopted as an official language alongside English. Irish terms also replaced English ones for the titles of official bodies and figures, such as the Police (Garda), the Prime Minister (Taoiseach) and the Parliament (Dáli). There are three main existing dialects of Irish  – Munster (An Mhumhain), Connacht (Connachta) and Ulster (Ulaidh). These three strains were combined in the 1950s and 60s to create a ‘standardised’ version of Irish that is now taught in most schools. Irish mostly uses the Latin alphabet for the written word, but occasionally Gaelic script (first used in the Medieval era) can be seen on road signs and public notices. Linguistically, Irish is a fairly difficult and unique language, with complex orthography (using letter combinations such as ‘mh’, ‘bh’ and ‘dh’ to name a few), a case system for nouns, and a sightly unique numeric system, with different disjunctive numbers used depending on the object in question ( three buses will not be counted the same way as three cows, for example.) Some common expressions in Irish include dia duit (hello) slán go fóill (see you later), and sláinte (cheers!).

Scottish Gaelic

Scottish Gaelic is spoken by 57,400 people in Scotland, primarily in the Highlands, the Western Isles, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Inverness. The language is part of the Goidelic language family, the northern group of Celtic languages, which span from the Isle of Man to Scotland. Scottish Gaelic, as well as the Modern Irish language and Manx, all derive from Old Irish, the oldest form of the Goidelic languages. It might not be an official language of the UK, but Scottish Gaelic is one of the four recognised languages by the Scottish Government. It has also been classified as an indigenous language by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. According to the 2011 Census, an estimated 87,100 people aged 3 and over in Scotland had some Scottish Gaelic language skills, 37 per cent of this number had full Gaelic skills. Although the number of Scottish Gaelic speakers has declined significantly since the 18^th century, devolution and the establishment of the Scottish Parliament in May 1999 has boosted the languages’ chances of survival in the 21^st century, thanks to the introduction of the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act of 2005, the first legislation dedicated to the protection of the Scottish Gaelic language.

Basic Scottish Gaelic phrases:

• Hello – Halò
• How are you? – Ciamar a tha thu/sibh?
• Fine, thank you – Tha mi gu math, tapadh leat/leibh
• What is your name? – Dè an t-ainm a th’ ort/oirbh?
• My name is… – Is mise…
• Nice to meet you – ‘S toil leam gur coinneachadh
• Please – Led thoil / Ler toil
• Thank you – Tapadh leat/leibh

Scots

Unlike Scottish Gaelic, Scots, also known as Braid Scots or Broad Scots, is a West Germanic language spoken primarily in the Scottish Lowlands and Ulster, where the language is known as Ulster Scots. In total, the language is spoken by 1.5 million people in the UK, and is used as a first language by 89,200 people. The Ulster Scots dialect is spoken by an estimated 10,000 people in Northern Ireland. Scots is also one of the four languages recognised by the Scottish Government, and has also been classified as an indigenous language by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. The earliest written example of the Scots language is a text from 1300 AD, about the death of Alexander III, King of Scotland between 1249 and 1286. Use of the Scots language declined in 1707 after the union between Scotland and England was established, but more recently, the language has been included in the new Scottish national curriculum and is protected under the 2015 Scots Language Policy. In fact, as of the 2011 census, 1.9 million stated that they could “read, write, speak or understand Scots”.

Basic Scots phrases:

• Welcome – Wylcome
• Hello – Hullo
• Goodbye – Guidbye
• How are you? – Hoo are ye?
• Where are you from? – Whaur ye fae?
• Thank you – Thank ye
• Have a nice day – Hae a guid day

Cornish

Cornish is a Brythonic Celtic language, which shares its origins with the Welsh and Breton languages. Use of the Cornish language declined between the 16^th and 17^th century, due to the Prayer Book Rebellion, during which 4,000 Cornish Catholics were killed for resisting the anglicisation of the Church during the Reformation. Classified as an extinct language until its revival in the 20^th century, Cornish has become increasingly popular. In 2002, the Cornish language was recognised by the UK Government as part of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages. Additionally, Cornish is also used on signage in Cornwall, as well as being taught in some nurseries and schools.

Basic Cornish phrases:

• Welcome – Dynnargh dhis
• Hello – Dydh da
• How are you? – Fatla genes?
• What’s your name? – Pyth yw dha hanow?
• Where are you from? – A bleth os ta devedhys?
• Pleased to meet you – Da yw genev metya genes
• Good morning – Myttin da
• Good evening – Gorthugher da
• Goodbye – Duw genes

Manx

The minority languages of the British Isles seem to be divided into those that are very much ‘living’ (despite outside factors) and those that can be considered as ‘dying’ or even ‘dead’. Up until fairly recently, Manx fell into the latter category, though thanks to a concerted effort by speakers, it has been revived. In figures from 2011, over 1,823 people claimed to have some ability in speaking, reading and/or writing in Manx, and the current number of children fluent in the language is estimated to be around a few hundred, a growing number owing to many of these children now having grown up in Manx-speaking families.  A Celtic language, Manx is primarily spoken on the Isle of Mann (Ellan Vannin)) and is closely related to Irish and Scottish Gaelic, brought to the isle by settlers from Ulster and Galloway in the 5^th century. Manx emerged as its own language in the 13^th and 14^th centuries after the collapse of the Norse kingdom of Mann, up until English control of the isle through the Stanley family. In 1765, the Revestment Act sold the island to the British crown and led to a sharp decline in Manx speakers as the economy collapsed and people emigrated, further aggravated through 19^th century immigration to the North West of England. In 1974, the last native speaker of Manx, Ned Maddrell, died, and Manx was considered extinct. However, in 1985, the Tynwald (the island’s parliamentary body) passed a resolution that would give Manx limited official recognition for the first time. The Manx Gaelic Advisory Council and the Manx Heritage Foundation were also set up to help revive and preserve the language. Since then, the language has enjoyed a slow resurrection. Since 1992, Manx has been taught in schools on the Isle of Man, and since 2001 several playgroups and primary schools led and taught in Manx language have been set up. Manx classes for adults are popular, and there are also several Manx-language choir groups and a resurgence in the creation of Manx language materials, such as books and radio programmes. Some words and phrases in Manx include s’mie lhiam çheet dty whail (pleased to meet you), cair vie (‘have a good journey’) and slaynt (cheers!).

Conclusion

Despite the dominance of the English language in the UK, there has been a significant revival and legislation of protections to the indigenous languages in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Now, the once lost or extinct languages like Cornish or Manx, as well as the prominently used Welsh and Scots languages, are examples of the healthy state of indigenous language diversity in the UK. If you require translation or interpreting services in any language, you can get a quote here from Crystal Clear Translation.

The Scandinavian Countries: Why Are They So Good At Speaking English?

by Hammed Sonny | Nov 14, 2021 | Multilingualism

(Written by Callum Madle & Phoebe Harrison)

Talar du engelska?

When we think about which places have the best grip on English as a second language, most people will naturally think of Scandinavia – with good reason. Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland consistently feature in the top ten of the EF English Proficiency Index’s rankings, with the 2020 findings showing these four countries at second, third, fourth, and fifth position respectively, a highly impressive feat. Scandinavians’ high proficiency in English is largely an accepted fact, but we seldom question why they are just so good at it – here are the main reasons.

Shared Language Family

The principal reason why our Scandinavian cousins find English easier to pick up is because English, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, and Icelandic all belong to the same core language family – namely, Germanic (Finnish is an outlier, belonging to the Finno-Ugric language family).  As a result, there are  many linguistic similarities between the Scandinavian languages and English, though particularly with Swedish, which shares roughly 1,558 words with its English relative. There are also many examples of Scandinavian countries adopting English loanwords (like taxi, hacker, lunch, badminton, and t-shirt, to name a few) to replace expressions in their own language, particularly when it comes to pop culture or technological terminology, as well as other foreign or new concepts. Additionally, there is also less of a divide between the general grammar and syntax of Scandinavian languages and that of English. For instance, the Scandinavian languages mostly follow the SVO (subject + verb + object) sentence structure, much like English, and verb conjugation is also very similar – unlike the Romance languages, (such as French, Spanish, and Italian) verbs do not change their form depending on the subject, meaning the process of learning, and using verb tenses in English is fairly straightforward for a Scandinavian. In short, the task of picking up and being able to use English is generally less daunting for a Scandinavian person than it would be for a Japanese person, for example, as a Scandinavian will be able to recognise many similarities between English and their own language that make the learning process far easier.

Here are some examples of Scandinavian-language words that are similar to their English counterparts:

Swedish – ko/cow, kyssa/to kiss, kniv/knife, komma/come, hat/hatta, ofta/often

Danish – hus/house, arm/arm, sten/stone, dans/dance, grøn/green, syg/sick

Norwegian – katt/cat, orm/worm, vindu/window, dør/door, bok/book, eple/apple

Education

In Scandinavia, high proficiency in English is also owed to how the education system values and teaches the language. In schools English is often considered a core subject rather than an elective one, and pupils start to learn it at the young age of around seven or eight, meaning that by time they are teenagers, the majority of students will have at least a basic or conversational knowledge of the English language. Compare this to the UK, where we mostly learn foreign languages from GCSE level onwards, where such subjects are usually optional anyway. At Higher Education or University Level, a lot of textbooks and resources can also be in English, and classes may even be taught in the language, meaning that most young adults in modern day Scandinavia are highly likely to have a good – if not fluent – level of English. To summarise, the importance of English in the overall Nordic education system is arguably one of the main reasons why so many Scandinavians grow up to speak English confidently, perhaps setting an example to other countries who do not value or integrate foreign-language learning as much into their respective curriculums.

Consumption of English-language media

Another factor that has led to high English proficiency throughout Scandinavian countries is their population’s consumption of English-language media. While most countries that import foreign-language television programmes or films tend to dub the media into their own language, Scandinavian TV stations use subtitles and retain the original English audio. This is partly due to economic circumstances. Larger, wealthier countries, such as Italy and Germany, can afford the costly nature of dubbing, whereas for countries with a smaller population, like Denmark, Sweden or Finland, subtitling is a more affordable option. As well as the many subtitled programmes on national TV stations, the BBC has an English language station, BBC Brit, that broadcasts in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland. Constant exposure to the English language through media gives Scandinavians’ English language abilities a significant boost, as consuming foreign language media with subtitles can lead to the acquisition of foreign language skills. In fact, a 2011 study by the European Commission on the use of subtitling in 33 countries found that “subtitling helps to improve the mastery of foreign languages” and can “contribut[e] to creating an environment that encourage[s] multilingualism”. Many Scandinavians are also exposed to the English language through music. Currently, the charts in Sweden, Norway and Denmark feature plenty of English-language artists, such as Dua Lipa, Adele, Ed Sheeran, and the Weeknd. With such a consistent and unavoidable exposure to English, it is no wonder that so many Scandinavians are also proficient speakers of the language.

English as a language of business 

In the Scandinavian countries, English is viewed as an important language of business, and treated as a working language, or lingua franca. The Nordic countries exported goods worth  a value of €364 billion, primarily to the EU. The primary exports of the Nordic countries are natural resources, like petroleum, as well as paper, fish, and machinery. As Sweden, Denmark, and Norway primarily export their goods and business to EU countries where English is still used as lingua franca, English language skills and a knowledge of the English language are significant to the Scandinavian economies. In addition to this, the Swedish brand IKEA, worth $17.9 billion, trades globally, especially in English-language countries, like the US and the UK. Since the Scandinavian countries’ economies rely on business and trade with foreign countries, particularly those that either speak English as a national language or use it as a lingua franca, it is important for people involved in business in countries like Norway, Sweden, and Denmark to be proficient in the English language. 1.75 billion people globally speak English, thus the language’s significance is clear, especially for the Scandinavian countries, and Scandinavian companies such as IKEA, H&M, Spotify, and Volvo, who rely on trade with the global economy.

Conclusion

Many factors, such as the significance of global trade for Scandinavian countries, the consumption of English-language media, as well as education and similarities between English and Scandinavian languages, have reinforced the importance of English for the Scandinavian countries and highlight why the language has such a prevalence in the region. Evidently, many Scandinavians are immersed in the English language from a young age, with the language continuing to play a significant role throughout their lives. If you require translation or interpreting services in any language, you can get a quote here from Crystal Clear Translation.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Raising a Child as Bilingual or Multilingual

by Hammed Sonny | Nov 3, 2021 | Multilingualism

(Written by Callum Madle, Shannon Walker and Phoebe Harrison)

In the United Kingdom, we live in an (increasingly) monolingual society, a reality reinforced by the fact that English is often considered as the most ‘international’ tongue, meaning most native English speakers do not feel the need to study other languages. For this reason, most parents do not consider the possibility of raising their child as bilingual or multilingual, because from their point of view, what would be the point? Despite this growing mindset, government statistics show that as of January 2021, 1.6 million (19.2%) of UK school pupils are recorded as having another language alongside English, with 19.3% of pupils recorded as having another first language, with English as their second (ESL). Given these not insignificant figures, it raises the question: do children raised as bilingual or multilingual have advantages (or indeed, disadvantages) over their monolingual peers, and should we bring our children up knowing more than one language?

Advantages of raising a child as bilingual or multilingual

To begin with, there are arguably many social benefits to raising a child as bilingual or multilingual. Firstly, the child maintains a strong connection to the culture of the language they have been raised in, particularly if one or both parents are fluent or native speakers – in addition to this, communication with extended family overseas is far easier for any bilingual or multilingual child, increasing both a sense of familial belonging and a pride in their own background. In terms of wider social interaction, bilingual children have an ability to make friends from a larger and more diverse social background, and some studies have shown that preschool-age children who are raised as bilingual have an easier time in understanding the desires and perspectives of others, as well as possessing an increased sensitivity to certain features of communication in their peers (tone of voice etc.). As such, we can infer that those multilingual children are better equipped to deal with general social interactions from an earlier age than their monolingual peers are and are also therefore likely to be more confident in themselves and more in tune with the wants and needs of others, an advantage for any child.

As we compare multilingual and monolingual children, it is important to address the supposed cognitive advantages that the former group possesses over the latter. Studies have shown that children raised as bilingual or in a multilingual environment have been shown to develop an earlier understanding of theory of mind and are able to differentiate between different spoken languages from a much earlier age than monolingual children, as well as possessing a slightly greater aptitude for memorisation, a skill that carries on to later life. In addition to this, bilingual children (and later adults) outperform their monolingual companions in terms of executive function – for example, multilingual children and adults find it easier to remain focused for a greater period of time and are able to switch between tasks with greater ease. Given the above advantages, it is also unsurprising that children raised as bilingual or multilingual are far more likely to be able to learn another language (or languages) at a later stage, often having a greater understanding of grammatical structures and an enhanced vocabulary. In short, these developmental bonuses can give children a greater head start in life both in and outside the classroom, making them more likely to succeed in later life when compared to children raised as monolingual, having ‘trained’ their brain from a young age.

One other obvious benefit to raising a child as bilingual is that they will have a greater access to a larger and more impressive cultural sphere. A multilingual child will be able to experience a more diverse selection of cultural artefacts, such as films, music, and literature. These multilingual children will understandably have a more expansive outlook from a young age because of such exposure to more international media, putting them at an advantage over their monolingual peers who may have a more insular pool of cultural interests that may come to limit their overall outer perspectives.

Raising a child as a bilingual or multilingual speaker may also provide job opportunities, as well as the ability to travel and work in other countries. Being able to speak more than one language can boost a multilingual or bilingual speakers wage by between 10% and 15%. Studies have also found that countries with a high number of multilingual speakers, such as Switzerland, also have a higher proportion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from international trade. In the UK, an estimated 68% of those who spoke a second language said that they actively used their second language as part of their job. English is used widely as a lingua franca in the business world, but the ability to speak other languages such as German, Arabic, French, Spanish or Mandarin can increase one’s prospect of earning a higher wage.

To some extent, the ability of bilingualism and multilingualism can also contribute in later life to a better quality of ageing and brain health. Some scientific studies have found that lifelong bilingual and multilingual speakers consistently stimulate areas of their brain that could protect them from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, researchers in northern Italy found that bilingual speakers with similar dementia symptoms to monolingual speakers were on average five years older than the other patients, and also discovered that their ability to speak a second language meant, despite their illness, they had better levels of brain function and “stronger connections between certain brain areas compared to those who only speak one language”.

Moreover, a study of 600 stroke victims by the University of Edinburgh in 2015 found that 40.5% of stroke victims who were multilingual speakers had recovered a normal level of mental functions, whereas 19.6% of monolingual speakers in the study recovered the same level of mental functions. While there are no definitive answers toward the health benefits of speaking more than one language, it is still true that multilingualism and bilingualism can provide beneficial cognitive stimulation and requires a significant amount of brain activity, which could aid in the preservation of grey matter in the brain.

Potential challenges for a bilingual child

Whilst there are an array of advantages to being a bilingual child, it is still important to consider some of the challenges that may arise throughout a child’s development and language learning journey. It is worth noting that each child is different, therefore their response to bilingualism may vary.

​​One disadvantage of being bilingual is that bilingual and multilingual speakers have a smaller vocabulary in the languages they speak than monolingual speakers. In addition to this, the time taken for bilingual speakers to retrieve words when thinking is slower than for a monolingual speaker. When tested, bilingual speakers had a lower semantic fluency and verbal fluency score than a monolingual speaker. This may cause some issues for bilingual or multilingual speakers, but the mental switch between languages can also be viewed as a positive, since the process stimulates neuroplasticity and can strengthen the brain’s cognitive processes.

Some argue that being bilingual or multilingual can cause a child to be confused and mix up words from the different languages they speak. This confusion is referred to as code mixing. However, this language mixing is regarded as being normal for bilingual children and is the result of the child trying to navigate between two languages. In fact, scientific research suggests that bilingual infants, for instance, “readily distinguish their two languages and show no evidence of confusion”, and, by 4 months old, a bilingual infant can distinguish between rhythmically similar languages.

Whilst some children may have mastered speaking more than one language, reading and writing in both could arise as a different challenge. Suppose a young person is fluent in one language, in the process of learning how to speak the second proficiently basic reading and writing skills may get missed. This could result in a negative impact on the child’s learning development. For example, a child who has moved from Poland to England, is likely to only be encountering English on a more regular basis when they begin school- although the child may have learnt basic English-speaking skills in their surrounding environment it’s not as probable that they will have the ability to read and write in English straight away.

The term receptive bilingualism refers to an individual who has a solid understanding of a certain dialect through the means of excessive exposure, however they are unable to communicate in it. This is something that’s quite common amongst bilingual children. One theory suggests it is most likely to affect children with bilingual parents. When parents or guardians can speak two languages, the children are more likely to be exposed to it from a very young age, gauging a moderate understanding of the vocabulary and grammatical elements. Receptive bilingualism occurs through a lack of reinforcement and emphasis on the content the child is taking in. It makes sense that this would occur in this instance due to the heightened exposure to another language. For example, an English family who have moved to France; a young child may be present with their parents speaking French in public, but the need for emphasis in these cases is minimal- this results in the child adapting to the language but not gaining the ability to communicate in it.

We should consider the role that prejudice could play in the upbringing of a bilingual child. It is unfortunate that bilingualism may not be as celebrated as it should be. Some children may not have grasped an understanding of cultural and ethnic variations which could possibly result in uncompassionate and thoughtless assumptions being made about people. If this type of prejudice does occur, it could have a detrimental effect on the individual in question, with the potential of bullying and isolation coming to light. To refrain from these types of matters occurring, it would be advantageous for children to be educated on diversity from an appropriate age.

An interesting point to raise, which although considered a myth, is the part that cultural bias may play in families. In some rare and extreme cases, some parents are unhappy with their children learning another language- it has been found that a small minority of adults believe this to be an attack on their culture. Whilst there is no strong evidence to support the claim, there is known to be a misconception that learning a second language could slow down a child’s learning and development.

How can these challenges be overcome?

In instances where bilingual children may face any of the challenges mentioned above, there are many ways in which they can be minimised or overcome completely. A great deal of the language learning can take place in the home, with regular and balanced exposure to both languages. Immersing a child into language every day can pay off in ten folds, with the integration of speaking two languages in day-to-day activities for instance. Whilst parents may consider a few of these tasks to aid their child’s learning, it remains important to ensure the learning process is fun and enjoyable.

Concluding thoughts

It seems that there are ample benefits to a child being bilingual. Whether it be increased cognitive skills or standing strong suit for employment in their older years, it would be wise to presume that the benefits outweigh the challenges. Even when challenges occur which may hinder the child’s abilities, it is important to note there are strategic ways to overcome these obstacles. Possessing the ability to speak two languages to a proficient level could pay dividends to future generations: opening doors to new prospects along with a seasoned understanding of cultural and ethnic diversity.

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