Language Learning At Edmonton Public Schools

BENEFITS OF LANGUAGE LEARNING

‌There are many benefits to learning a second language. Learning a language leads to:

• an increased awareness of, and sensitivity to, cultural and linguistic diversity
• an enhanced role in the international community
• improved potential in the Canadian and global marketplace

 There are also many personal reasons for learning another language. Students can look forward to:

• more opportunity to communicate directly with people
• a deeper insight into their own culture and language
• a broader range of educational, career and leisure opportunities
• the opportunity to meet the entrance requirements of many post-secondary institutions in Alberta and across Canada

 Students receive additional, indirect benefits from learning another language, including:

• the development of increased competence in their use of English or in other languages they may know
• an increased ability to think abstractly and creatively
• more cognitive flexibility

For more information on the impacts of learning a second language, please take a look at the Literature Review on the Impact of Second-Language Learning or the Executive Summary. This literature review was produced by the Language Research Centre at the University of Calgary. It was prepared for and funded by the Second Languages and Intercultural Council of the Alberta Teachers’ Association and the Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers‌.