By: Amanda Zimmerman
Each year before the holiday break, Northeastern High School in Manchester, PA’s Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica visits Shallow Brook Intermediate School to spread holiday cheer and to promote an interest in the Spanish language by singing villancicos—Spanish Christmas carols—in the hallway. One year, as the familiar words of José Feliciano’s“¡Feliz Navidad!” filled the hallway, a fourth grader raced out of his classroom and into the hallway, shouting, “¡Yo hablo español!” He seemed not only elated to hear his native language but also determined to let the group know of the special bond they shared with their knowledge of English and Spanish.
In the United States, where, according to the Pew Research Center, more than 37 million people speak Spanish, many would not expect the kind of reaction that the little boy had, let alone consider knowledge of English and Spanish special. Or would they? A 2001 Gallup Poll reveals that only one in four United States Americans—that´s a mere one-fourth of the population—can hold a conversation in a second language. These low numbers can likely be attributed to the poll´s finding that “most Americans believe that a second language is a valuable, although not necessarily essential, skill.”
Given these findings, it should come as no surprise that Pennsylvania has a lack of bilingual education programs. According to the Center for Applied Linguistics as referenced by WITF, only eight school districts in the state offer bilingual English/Spanish education to their students. Locally, only Manheim Township School District, Lancaster Mennonite School, and the School District of Lancaster have bilingual programs.
Perhaps the survey participants and the schools devoid of bilingual education programs would change their perspectives with a better understanding of the numerous benefits. Aside from the obvious ability to communicate with people who speak another language, there are cognitive, financial, social/emotional, and global benefits to bilingual education—especially in English and Spanish.
The cognitive benefits are numerous. Dr. Joseph Mercola, an alternative medicine proponent, osteopathic physician, and web entrepreneur, explains that a bilingual’s brain not only looks different, but also functions distinctly from that of a monolingual speaker. Because speaking two languages requires greater brainpower and alters neurological structures, there is more grey and white matter in a bilingual’s brain. Increased grey matter allows for an augmented ability to think abstractly, making bilinguals better at understanding and solving word problems, using logic, multi-tasking, and offering flexible approaches to problems than monolinguals. Dr. Mercola also suggests that bilinguals are more adept at discerning relevant from irrelevant or biased information, retaining information, and making decisions. Such heightened cognition even makes a bilingual less likely than a monolingual to develop Alzheimer’s disease or to suffer from other forms of mental decline. And, these are just a few of the cognitive benefits that extend equally to those who are educated bilingually from birth and those who become bilingual later in life.
Employers seem to be aware of the heightened cognition among bilinguals. In today’s global economy, bilinguals are in demand and have more job opportunities. With greater job opportunities comes greater pay. On average, bilinguals in the United States can earn anywhere from five to twenty percent more than monolinguals. According to a University of Florida study (2000), bilingual Hispanic employees in Miami earn up to $7,000 more than their English-only peers. In today’s global economy, the global awareness and biculturalism that is often inherent of bilinguals is invaluable.
Socially and emotionally, bilingual education allows for the preservation of lines of communication with family members who may be monolingual. It also places bilinguals in an atmosphere where two languages, and often cultures, are valued, maintained, and fostered. This leads to increased self-esteem. It also breads understanding and compassion in a society that can often seem devoid of these attributes.
Given the countless cognitive, financial, social/emotional, and global benefits to bilingual education, that fourth grader was right to be excited about his knowledge of English and Spanish. Perhaps if more schools can recognize the benefits and perceive a student’s knowledge of English and Spanish as not simply a valuable skill, but an essential one, the payoffs for those with an excitement for and an interest in bilingual education could be limitless.
Amanda Zimmerman holds a Master of Arts in Spanish as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and in Secondary Education English. She teaches Spanish and advises the Capítulo Puerta del Sol de la Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica at Northeastern High School in Manchester, PA.