By Ms. Fan Chengyu, PYP Mandarin Teacher.

Hello everyone, my name is Fiona and I teach Mandarin to B level students from grade one to grade five. I’m glad to meet many students from all over the world who study Chinese. I as a Mandarin teacher was often asked if children need to learn multiple languages. Today, let’s talk about the benefits of being a multilingual.

Cognitive Benefits

A multilingual person develops creative thinking and an ability to think more flexibly.Such people have two or more words for each idea or object. They are also more sensitive to the needs of listeners, as compared to monolingual people.Being multilingual has a positive effect on intellectual growth of a person as well

Curriculum Benefits

 Multilingual people have a better thinking capability. Being versed in more than one language, gives people the benefit of better understanding. Multilingual individuals tend to show higher performance in examinations and tests as well.They find it quite easy to learn and speak any new languages.

 Communication Advantages

 Multilinguals enjoy reading and writing in different languages. They can understand and appreciate literature in various languages. It gives them a deeper knowledge of different ideas and traditions. Needless to say, they do not face difficulties in communication whilst in a foreign country

 Cultural Advantages

 Multilingualism offers an access and exposure to different cultures. Due to a wider cultural experience, there is a greater tolerance and open-mindedness of differences in creeds and customs.

 Character Advantages

 Language builds a bond between people. When a person speaks our native language, we tend to have a liking for them. This creates a powerful link between people from different countries as well as increasing a persons sense of self-esteem when communicating with other people

 Benefits to health

 Recent scientific research showed that multilingualism can slow down the symptoms of ageing by boosting brain performance, and can therefore be an advantage in later life

 Employment Benefits

 Being bilingual adds to the expansion of ones knowledge and understanding. It works wonders on a CV. A bilingual person is always given priority over a monolingual person. It offers a wider choice of jobs in various fields. Bilinguals can get prosperous career opportunities in the retail, transport, tourism, administration, public relations, marketing, banking, accountancy, translation law and teaching sectors (to name a few)

CISS focus on the overall development of students, we encourage students to explore unknown areas. We emphasize the main position of middle school students in the teaching process and maintain the high participation of students in the classroom. We ensure that every student gets enough care and care every moment. In addition, we encourage students of all ages to think critically, question stereotypes, and combine research-based quality education practices with high-quality practices in our global school community. Encourage students of all ages to think locally and globally, and cultivate multilingual students.