According to the 2010 U. S. Census Bureau, more than half of the population is bilingual, and in the U.S., the nation known to be a “melting pot” of cultures, the popularity of bilingualism is ever growing. There are approximately 350 languages spoken inside American homes, excluding English. Research conducted in the 15 largest metro areas of the U.S. shows that the percentage of the population that speaks another language at home ranges from 12% in Detroit to 51% in Miami. The situation is not different in high schools and college campuses; students are advised to complete at least two years of a foreign language and in college, a second language is not only an impressive “skill,” but essentially a must-have. Despite the common belief that bilingualism brings benefits in the workforce and in one’s personal life, who actually knows what that means?
Career Advisor Nick Escalante said that being fluent in more than one language is a benefit to working anywhere because you have a greater ability to communicate with more people. He further explained that being proficient in a second language goes beyond understanding the other language, creating an understanding of different cultures as well as different groups of people. “I often find that people with multiple languages tend to have multiple cultural backgrounds in their upbringing and it allows them to understand different cultures and empathize more efficiently with others who have multiple cultural backgrounds, effectively aiding in bridging gaps and [building] faster rapport,” said Escalante.
The ability to communicate in a different language and understand different cultures is important for any profession. Melinda Luis, an adjunct instructor at NSU, says that, as a dietician, having the ability to be mindful of a patient’s background and primary language is essential to treating that patience properly. She said, “Food is such an important part of people’s lives and culture. [When you work] with people in healthcare that might be ill, you need to know the types of food that are part of their culture within therapeutic guidelines.” As a UNIV instructor, Luis interacts with students from diverse backgrounds and recognizes that there are cultural biases present in healthcare and education. “There have been certain students in my classes that could not do certain activities [because of] religious and cultural beliefs, and it is important to be mindful of that in any profession,” said Luis.
The ability to speak more than one language is also helpful in one’s personal life. Kimber Manley, a sophomore Biology major at NSU, learned American Sign Language while taking it for three years in high school. She said that it has been an asset when deaf or hard of hearing clients order food at her job. Manley also has a deaf neighbor in her hometown and has served as a translator when necessary. She said, “When my neighbor lost her dog, I was the only one able to communicate with her. It really is a language that should be learned by more people.” For engineering major Tyler Phan, growing up learning Vietnamese gave him the ability to assist customers at the Boba shop he works at. He said, “Many of our customers are Vietnamese and some of them don’t speak English, so I am able to get orders in Vietnamese.” Phan also learned Chinese when he lived in China for two years and said traveling from the U.S. to China to Vietnam allowed him to have access to multiple cultures and ways of living. “I feel like I am more open to trying new things and meeting new people from other places because of the experiences [I have had with other cultures,]” said Phan.
Scientifically, a plethora of research is necessary to fully understand the benefits — if any — of being bilingual. There are differences in electrical activity between a bilingual brain and a monolingual brain, but defining “bilingualism” is a bit complicated. There are many “types” of bilingualism, and according to Dr. Mercedes Fernandez, a professor in the NSU Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, there are many variables factored in, including the age the person learned a second language and the ways in which that person uses that language on a daily basis. There is a difference between a bilingual exposed to two languages at birth and one that learns a second language after moving to another country. Similarly, there are differences between a bilingual that uses both languages on a daily basis and one who only uses a language when traveling abroad. According to Fernandez, and due to the discrepancies stated above, the major problem in conducting research experiments with bilinguals is that the results are difficult to replicate.
The topic of bilingualism is an interesting area to look at in terms of a career, scientific and personal perspective. It is clear that learning a new language benefits much more than just a resume. It gives you benefits in the workforce when communicating and provides access to new cultures and groups of people. In one way or another, it is really just nice to know you can understand a little bit more of the world.
Photo: S. Eker
