This document discusses the benefits of being bilingual. It notes that 53% of Europeans are bilingual, compared to only 18% in the US. Being bilingual can provide cognitive benefits like improved problem-solving and multi-tasking abilities. It also opens up more career and travel opportunities. Bilingual individuals can experience higher earnings, ranging from 10-20% more than monolingual speakers. The document encourages learning a second language like Spanish, which is spoken by over 400 million people worldwide. It argues this can make individuals more attractive in the global marketplace and help address future demands in fields like education, healthcare, business, and law.

1. What is bilingualism?
Pre-Assessment

2. What do you already know about bilingualism?
How you think that our society perceives
being bilingual?

3. HOWEVER….

4. What can be the possible benefits of being
bilingual?

5. Explore the personal
and professional
benefits of being
bilingual…
Besides being more
attractive!
Objective of today

6. EUROPEAN UNION

7. EUROPEAN UNION – 53% are bilingual
These countries are
amongst the wealthiest
super powers in the
world!
Check out
Sweden!

8. Swedish musical artists and brands tend to break
boundaries for being fluent in multiple languages!

9. MEANWHILE… in America…
http://www.forbes.com/sites/collegeprose/2012/08/27/americas-foreign-language-deficit/#4a68dac8382f
Only 18 % are
bilingual

10. Let’s change that!

11. Facts about learning Spanish
1. There are 414,000,000 Spanish
speakers in the world…
2. It is the third most spoken language in
the world.
3. The U.S. now has more Spanish
speakers than Spain. 2nd largest after
Mexico with 45 million speakers.

12. The most important aspect of bilingualism for your
teacher has been…
Being able to travel the world and understand new
cultures…

13. Being bilingual has helped me travel to all of
these countries!
Learn about… Art, History, Past Civilizations, Food, Future Innovations, Connect with people….
Most importantly
TO LEARN
ABOUT…
YOURSELF!!!

14. Being bilingual has opened up so many labor
opportunities for me such as…
Working for:
Survey Monkey in California where I translated their
entire website to Spanish and helped Survey Monkey
expand their services to the Latin American Market.
Worked in cinema distribution for Cinema Tropical in
New York City where I got to meet cool actors like Kate
Winslet!
Translated legal documents for Harvard University,
Stanford University Professors and the Mexican
American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
Helped with tutoring and guidance to the most
vulnerable populations in need.

15. You will also be smarter!
“A 2004 study found that those who
could speak two or more languages had
higher levels of cognitive brain function,
and were more adept at solving
problems, planning, and other “mentally
demanding tasks.” The fact that bilingual
people are often forced to shift between
languages is like an overall workout for
the brain; making them quicker, better at
multi-tasking, and, yes, smarter”.
-(NY Times)

16. You will also have more job opportunities!
- In such a globalized economy. You can find a job in dozens
of other Spanish speaking countries.
- Stand out from your monolingual peers by making yourself
more valuable. Increase your chances of being hired. You
will now count as two people instead of one.
- Expand a business abroad.
- Work with the Hispanic community in the United States,
which is close to 17% (55 million). Many whom only speak
Spanish.
- Bridge the cultural gap with your expertise on different
cultures. Get to know a different culture and connect with
them in their own native language.
- Prove that you’re smarter and cultured. The world does not
revolve only around the United States!
- Get a second job doing translations, teaching, tutoring, etc.

17. Supply the future careers in demand!
● Education: Spanish/Chinese/Arabic, Math
and Science are the area of high demand in
U.S. public schools.
● Healthcare: Nurses, Doctors, Pharmacists,
Medical Researchers. Being bilingual will be
an asset to any healthcare team.
● Social Services: Help the populations that
need you most to make sure their needs are
also met.
● Business and Law: Increase the Size of
Target Market by offering services to non
English speakers in the U.S. and abroad.

18. Most importantly…
MAKE
MORE
Studies show that bilinguals earn 10 to 20% more than monolinguals.

19. Interview with bilingual high school student
• Junior at Institute Health
Sciences Career Academy.
• Fully bilingual.
• Aspires to be trilingual.
• Uses Spanish at home and
English at work and school.
• Holds a 3.5/4.0 GPA
• Watch the interview here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpVX
AvdPG5E

20. Interview with bilingual professional (non-teacher)
Director of Education at the Chicago
History Museum.
Previously the Education Director
for the National Museum of
Mexican Art.
Watch the interview here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
IoRjppWMg6E

21. Dr. Hillyn Sennholtz is the principal at Instituto Health
Sciences Career Academy.
Says she would love to learn Spanish or French. French
because of her heritage, and Spanish for work. She
studied a little bit of Latin in HS, but forgot it.
Regrets not being able to learn Spanish due to the English
only movement that she grew up in.
Her grandchildren and children are now bilingual.
Find the interview below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbm_o_-pN5o
Interview with monolingual

22. What are you waiting for?
Let’s all be bilingual!

23. Become more creative studying another culture.
According to Adam Grant, a University of
Pennsylvania psychologist and author of
the new book "Originals: How Non-
Conformists Move the World", working
abroad has startling effects for creativity.
"Cultures come with new norms and values
and ways of looking at things," he tells
Tech Insider.

24. Most creative intelligent celebrities
A 2009 study found that people who lived abroad
excelled at creative problem solving and a 2008
meta-analysis found that multicultural experiences
predict original thinking — for example, by
bringing in ideas from foreign cultures.
And a 2015 study of fashion houses over 21
seasons found that the most creatively successful
firms (as rated by critics) had directors who had
immersed themselves in work abroad.
Examples of celebrities who are bilingual!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny6prI0U1Ds

25. • List 3 things that you
learned.
• 2 things that you want to
know more about.
• 1 thing that you didn’t quite
understand.
Besides being more
attractive!
Post assessment

26. ¡Gracias!

27. References
The Advantages of Being Bilingual. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/The-Advantages-
of-Being-Bilingual/
Bhattacharjee, Y. (2012, March 17). Why Bilinguals Are Smarter. Retrieved from
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/the-benefits-of-bilingualism.html?_r=1&
Chatel, A. (2014). 7 Benefits of being Bilingual. Besides being more attractive! Retrieved from
http://www.bustle.com/articles/52833-7-benefits-of-being-bilingual-or-speaking-more-than-one-language-besides-being-
more-attractive
Europeans and their languages (Rep.). (2012, June 1). Retrieved
http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_386_en.pdf
Gomez, Oscar, Sharon Cardenas, Anaya Jesus, and Merari Uriostegui. À Procura De Trabalho No Brasil. N.p., n.d. Web.
Konnikova, M. (2015, January 22). Is Bilingualism Really an Advantage? - The New Yorker. Retrieved from
http://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/bilingual-advantage-aging-brain
Language News. (2014, October 27). Retrieved from http://blogs.transparent.com/language-news/2014/10/27/6-ways-
bilingualism-can-further-your-career/

28. References
Muñoz, M. A. (2014, June 23). Does being bilingual make you smarter? Retrieved from
https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/does-being-bilingual-make-you-smarter
Nacamulli, M. (2015, June 23). The benefits of a bilingual brain - Mia Nacamulli. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMmOLN5zBLY
Robledo, A. (2016, February 16). Being bilingual in High School and at Home. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpVXAvdPG5E
Sennholtz, H. (2016, February 16). Monolingualism in Illinois. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbm_o_-
pN5o
Skorton, D., & Altschuler, G. (2012, August 27). America's Foreign Language Deficit. Retrieved from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/collegeprose/2012/08/27/americas-foreign-language-deficit/#5b283797382f
Villafranca, N. (2016, February 15). Bilinguismo Spanish. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoRjppWMg6E