1. Speaking
Beyond
Your Native
Tongue
By:
Emily Batista

2. Are you bilingual?
Being bilingual means
that you can
efficiently carry out
conversation, read,
and write, in more
than one language.

3. How is this beneficial?
Why should you speak more than one language?
•Easy traveling
•Exposure to different cultures
•Expanded vocabulary
•Increased knowledge

4. Traveling
When traveling you can gain the
most out of an experience if you can
communicate with natives.
•Allows you to relate to others
•Allows for better transportation and
services
• Is efficient in more than one area,
potentially more than one continent.

5. Different Cultures
We are constantly surrounded by other
cultures. Learning another language
exposes you to:
 New ideas and methods
 Different jobs from around the world
 The everyday lives of others
 New ways of completing everyday tasks
 Life’s many natural advantages and
disadvantages

6. Vocabulary
Learning a new language is a wonderful
way to expand your vocabulary. It allows
for:
•Learning new words and root words
•Many languages have words that are
similar in root or stem. Such as English
and Spanish.

7. Knowledge
Overall experience and exposure that comes with learning
a new language can make you very knowledgeable.
Research has proved that bilingualism develops:
•Classification Skills
•Concept Formation
•Analogical Reasoning
•Visual-Spatial Skills
•Creativity
•Other Cognitive Gains

8. Why is this important?
Learning new ways to communicate is always helpful, but
the benefits of learning a new language may help you:
•Expand and network your thoughts
•Create lasting relationships with people
who share your skills
•Stand out to employers
•Get into colleges/universities
•Impress your authority figures/ native
speakers of other languages

9. Networking
 Communicate
ideas to foreigners,
or people in other
countries
 Spread awareness
about a cause or
issue
 Influence a crowd
 Create lasting
relationships with
other bilingual
people
 Communicate with
others who are not
proficient in English
at work or school.

10. Making Impressions
 Communicate with
a wide range of
people at work
 Impress, or even
help, your boss by
using another
language
 Stand out from co-
workers
 Be impressive on
college
applications
 Have the ability to
study abroad
 Explore college
majors or minors in
other languages

11. Personal Benefits
• Speaking another language
provides you with more options
including:
• More reading options
• More benefits from traveling
• More ways of expression through culture
• New ideas or ways of thinking
• Adoption of new customs
• Slang, choice of language, habits

13. Cognitive Benefits
• The Executive Control
System
• Concept of the executive
control system is the same
concept of paying attention.
• Utilizing this system occurs when
• Paying attention to more than one thing,
such as when switching between
languages.

15. Academic Success
• Popular beliefs state that learning
another language may deteriorate
your English skills, however research
has proven the opposite to be true.
• Learning a new language makes you
think in a new way, thus you may
apply what you learned to different
subjects.
• Problem-Solving Abilities
• Improved Grades

17. Future Success
Expanded job opportunities
More competitive due to skill
Extended opportunities to
travel abroad

21. Becoming Bilingual
Programs have spread across the globe that
influence children and adults alike to get involved in
learning new languages.
• Immersion Schools
• Working Overseas
• After-School/After-Work Training Programs
• Mandatory Study Abroad Programs in College

22. Many Steps
There are many steps in considering
how long and hard you will have to
work to learn a new language, this
includes:
• Do you want to be proficient?
• What is your current language
background?
• How will you learn?
• What type of learner are you?

23. “Being exposed to the existence of other
languages increases the perception that the
world is populated by people who not only
speak differently from oneself but whose
cultures and philosophies are other than one’s
own. Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry
but by demonstrating that all people cry,
laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce
the idea that if we try to understand each
other, we may even become friends.”
- Maya Angelou, Wouldn’t Take Nothing for
My Journey Now

24. Root Word Fun
Activity Instructions:
1. Divide into 3 groups. Each group will receive one
bag, containing words from one language.
2. Take the words in your bag and using the hints
below, do your best to arrange the words into a
sentence.
3. When you are done you will find a “Thank you!”
message written to you in your language, raise
your hands for me to approve your message,
then one person will write it on the board.
4. What did your message mean? I will translate the
messages into English once each group has
completed the activity.

25. Activity Hints
• In Spanish, “Hablar” means “to talk”
• “Mas” means “more”.
• “Idioma” sounds like “idiom”
• In Portuguese, “Espero” means “to hope”
• “Meu” means “mine”
• “Projeto” sounds like “project”
• In French, “Apprendre means to
apprehend”
• “Nouvelle” means “new”
• “Difficile” sounds like “difficult”

26. Learning a new
language may be
difficult, but that is life.
Learning more than one
language is very
important. I hope that
you enjoyed my project!

27. Works Cited
"Benefits of Being Bilingual." Ñandutí Benefits of Early
Learning. Center for Applied Linguistics, 06
June 2009. Web. 23 Mar. 2013.
Chipongian, Lisa. "Brain Connection." Brain
Connection RSS. Posit Science Corporation,
27 June 2000. Web. 06 Apr. 2013.
Cummins, James. "Cognitive Factors of Bilingual
Skills." The Modern Language Journal, 1977.
Web. 22 Mar. 2013.

28. Filstrup, Jane M. "Bilingual by Choice - Springer."
Bilingual by Choice - Springer. Day Care
Council of America, 1982. Web. 22 Mar.
2013.
Hickson, Alessandra. "Education Nation: The Real
Benefits of Being bilingual." NBC Latino. NBC
UNIVERSAL, 27 Oct. 2012. Web. 25 Mar. 2013.
Steiner, Naomi, and Susan L. Hayes. "Becoming
Bilingual :: Articles :: PARENTGUIDE News."
Becoming Bilingual :: Articles :: PARENTGUIDE
News. Parent Guide News, n.d. Web. 23 Mar.
2013.