Ianco-Worrell (1972), for example, found that children who are exposed to a bilingual environment from an early age are more skilled at learning new words and their meanings in their first language.

Of course, there are other ways to help children increase their vocabulary in their first language. However, those other methods do not also bestow the many other benefits of bilingualism. And while there are additional costs to bilingual classrooms, proficiency in a second language helps students gain admission to universities as well as to be more competitive in the job market.

Students who become bilingual early on in school will bring those skills to the workplace and improve workplace productivity. Speaking multiple languages offers a competitive edge in the job market and provides a cultural bridge for successful workplace relations. Because of this, demand for bilingual speakers in the workplace is increasing and bilingual communication skills increase economic...
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