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Parenting

20th Jun 2019

Research shows that kids who learn these 3 languages will be successful

Trine Jensen-Burke

Want your child to be among the best and brightest in their class?

Don’t we all.

Many studies have shown that teaching children a second (and third) language can seriously boost their brain power – but did you know some languages are far smarter to focus on than others when it comes to future academic and career success?

If you are thinking of exposing your child a second language, a new study has just revealed which ones will be the most beneficial to children in the next 10 years.

In partnership with Heathrow Airport, The Centre for Economics and Business Research and Opinion studied the role that language plays in children’s lives, and the researchers surveyed over 500 business leaders and examined which languages opened up the most doors for adults seeking career opportunities.

What they found? The top three languages that children should learn are French, German, and Mandarin.

On top of expanding children’s interpersonal and academic skills, learning to speak another language also exposes them to different cultures and other points of view, Developmental Linguistics Professor Antonella Sorace tells Reader’s Digest.

Sorace, who’s also the director of bilingualism matters at Edinburg University, goes on to explain that people who speak more than one language “tend to be better … at multitasking and are more advanced readers.”

So there you go, parents – time to break out the dictionary, perhaps?