When kids learn different languages, they often learn about different cultures as well. This helps them develop awareness about religions, regions and families other than their own.

India is a diverse land of multiple cultures, societies and languages. Thanks to its vast diversity, the country is undergoing explosive demand for multi-lingual individuals. Knowing more than one language is more than a passing trend, it can be a great tool for people to become well-rounded people who are successful in every aspect of their lives.

While it is true that learning more than one language can be a good tool for individuals, is there a best time to learn? According to recent research, new languages are best learned and retained in the early years of childhood. Kids can pick up new languages at an exceptional speed and develop perfect pronunciation. Imagine a bilingual home with the mother speaking Kannada and the father speaking Punjabi, the househelp being good at Bengali - the kid who maybe 3 year old picks up Hindi, Punjabi, Kannada, Bengali and English all at the same time!

Learning many languages also helps kids in multiple ways that can help them grow up into successful adults. How? Read on to learn more.

Cognitive prowess

Intellectual and cognitive development go hand in hand with language learning. The act itself not only improves the brain’s executive function, but also helps with key soft skills such as problem-solving, concentration, planning, and multitasking. Learning multiple languages can enhance a child’s intellectual and cognitive development while improving their brain’s executive function. Kids who can speak multiple languages often have higher IQs and higher levels of creativity, improved reading, writing, and verbal abilities.

Confidence boost

It is no secret that confidence stems from communication. If you can communicate smartly with other individuals, you can enhance your confidence levels. To achieve this, it is a great idea to teach kids multiple languages, since they can then communicate with other kids from different regions, boosting their self-confidence, and giving them further impetus to continue learning more languages.

Learning empathy

When kids learn different languages, they often learn about different cultures as well. This helps them develop awareness about religions, regions and families other than their own. So, while becoming creative individuals, they also become empathetic and tolerant towards people who are different from them. This goes a long way in creating well-rounded personalities that are characteristic of great leaders.

Another reason why early age is the best stage to learn new languages is that young learners have an edge over adults while adapting to the accent of each different language. Since adults tend to mimic the accent that clearly depicts what they are trying to say, they do not come across as native-speakers. However, since kids absorb sound much better, they naturally adapt to the various accents and speak perfectly. Thus, there are higher chances of kids becoming native speakers and utilizing their language skills to build long term success in their lives and careers.

In today’s world, soft skills are just as important, if not more, than hardcore technical skills. The most important jobs – Managers, CEOs, Founders – are all marked by a need for good communication skills, confidence, empathy, problem-solving abilities, etc. It is obvious, then, that teaching the kids a new language at an early age can give them the right foundation for a successful future with endless prospects and possibilities.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article above are those of the authors' and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of this publishing house