In honor of National Bilingual/Multilingual Learner Advocacy Month, the Quality Teaching for English Learners (QTEL) Team at WestEd invites you to join us in celebrating the richness of language diversity and the importance of bilingual and multilingual education.
Being bilingual or multilingual offers numerous cognitive, social, and economic benefits:
enhanced cognitive abilities, such as problem-solving, multitasking, and cognitive flexibility (Bialystok, 2017)
delayed cognitive decline in neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s and dementia (Alladi et al., 2013)
improved academic performance, with bilingualism being linked to stronger problem-solving skills, increased creativity, and improved performance in literacy and math (Kroll & Bialystok, 2013)
deepened cross-cultural understanding and empathy, as a result of being able to connect with people from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds (Grosjean, 2010)
broadened range of career opportunities, and often earning higher salaries (Ruiz, 2012)
QTEL recognizes and honors all the bilingual and multilingual students and their educators. We stand with you, committed to a rich multilingual and multicultural society as a result of valuing the linguistic diversity in all classrooms, and ensuring all students have enriching and challenging learning environments.
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