Growing up bilingual can be a tremendous blessing. In addition to the obvious benefit (i.e., the ability to speak and understand more than one language), recent research has revealed a number of cognitive advantages to bilingualism. Bilingual children have been shown to have: - Better metalinguistic awareness (ability to identify and describe characteristics and features of language).
- Better classification skills.
- Better concept formation.
- Better analogical reasoning.
- Better visual-spatial skills.
- Better storytelling skills.
- Better semantic development.
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From the Center for Applied Linguistics, learning a second language at an early age... - Has a positive effect on intellectual growth.
- Enriches and enhances a child's mental development.
- Leaves students with more flexibility in thinking, greater sensitivity to language, and a better ear for listening.
- Improves a child's understanding of his or her native language.
- Gives a child the ability to communicate with people he or she would otherwise not have had the chance to know.
- Opens the door to other cultures and helps the child understand and appreciate people from other countries.
- Gives the child a head start in language requirements for college.
- Increases job opportunities in many careers in which knowing another language is a real asset.
Some interesting reading on bilingualism: | 
