My Bilingualism Isn't Just "Cool"
In an article written by Charlene Santiago, My bilingualism isn't just "cool," the author opens with dialogue from a native Puerto Rican who explains how being bilingual is more than just knowing a foreign language. He also explains the benefits of being bilingual in the workplace and in social settings.
In addition to the awesome benefits in the workplace, being bilingual also increases your cultural awareness. Second language proficiency is becoming more and more common. According to Jose Juan Gómez, former Spanish professor, language is culture and therefore being bilingual makes you bicultural.
"Speaking more than one language makes you a more social competitive person, as well as it develops more social skills such as how to better relate with people." -Gómez
Gómez also addressed the influence of immigrants on the Bilingualism in the United States. According to the author, bilingualism in the U.S. has been mostly one-sided in the sense that immigrants are expected to learn the native language of the land, and many native people have little interest in learning new language.
"Language is a way for us humans to give meaning to the world and what surrounds us." -Gómez
Learn how you can become multilingual and improve your earning potential.