Multiple Languages?

Many parents fear that exposing young children to a second language will jeopardize their ability to speak their mother tongue. Yet, the opposite is true, says a research team led by neuroscientist Laura-Ann Petitto in Toronto, Canada. “Neural tissue that you’re born with . . . is ready and in place to learn language,” says Petitto, “and it can handle multiple languages.” In school, bilingual children often outperform children who speak only one language. However, “parents must take the lead in teaching young children a second language if they want them to have all of the benefits that come along with being bilingual.”