When you consider the benefits of learning a second language, you most likely imagine faraway destinations where your child can now confidently communicate, read street signs and better understand other cultures.

But, did you know that second language acquisition far exceeds the ability to simply speak and comprehend? By learning different alphabets, sentence structures and grammatical tenses, learners can actually improve their brain’s processes and increase their intelligence.

Since you have made your way to LetterSchool, we know (and commend you) for already recognizing these benefits. Give yourselves a pat on the back as you read the five main advantages of studying a second language and how LetterSchool has incorporated these learnings into our platform.

  • Increases career opportunities: When considering learning a second language, this may be the first thing that comes to mind. With an additional language and skillset, your children will be able to work with international markets or in other countries. They will be able to communicate with foreign partners and have an easier time securing business deals by truly “speaking their language.” Additional jobs will also become relevant such as: translators, teachers, diplomats and tour guides.
  • Enriches lives: Beyond business, second languages really do open up the world for children. By completely immersing yourself in a different language, you can fully comprehend the slang, jokes and why people speak the way they do. This is the best way to feel like a native and gain a better understanding of a country’s identity, personality and what makes it tick.
  • Strengthens the mind: According to a study by the Pennsylvania State University, multilingual individuals are “proficient at slipping from one language system to another [as they] are practiced at this very demanding work for the brain.” Studying an additional language is a workout for your brain because it has to create new patterns and connections between words, phrases and parts of speech. This also allows bilingual people to become more aware of their surroundings. According to Spain’s University of Pompeu Fabra, multilingual people are better at spotting things or information that may be deceptive or misleading.
  • Improves memory: Did you know that learning an additional language has the potential to delay brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia? According to multiple studies, the median age for the first signs of dementia in monolingual adults is 71.4. In bilingual (or even trilingual) people, the median age is closer to 75.5. Additionally, The Journal Of Experimental Psychology found that bilingual children perform better on tasks that require working memory than children who only know one language.
  • Improves academic performance: There is substantial research from Ohio State University’s Center For Languages, Literature, and Culture that discovered SAT math and verbal scores increase relative to each year that students learn additional languages. So, the longer your child studies a second language, there is a greater chance their test scores will improve in other subjects. Language skills enhance your children’s ability to perform well on problem-solving tasks, which translates over to tests, quizzes, homework and classwork.

How LetterSchool Comes Into Play

LetterSchool was developed with these understandings in mind. We have combined different versions of our app into one powerful learning tool. This revamped app is now available on the App Store and allows you to effortlessly switch between different languages.

With this feature, parents and teachers can easily teach a second language to children. We currently offer handwriting in the following 12 languages: English (US), Spanish (ES), Portuguese (BR), French (FR), German (DE), Dutch (NL), Swedish (SE), Norwegian (NV), Finnish (FI), Danish (DA), Japanese (JA), and Arabian (SA).

So, what are you waiting for? Let’s LetterSchool now!