Advantages of Multilingualism

"One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way." Frank Smith, Psycholinguist (as cited in Prunache). According to McArthur (1992), Edwards (1994) and Vildomec (1963), multilingual person is one who has the ability to speak or use more than two languages (as cited in Kemp, p. 15) and the speaker of two languages is called as bilingual and his ability to speak these both languages is known as bilingualism (Oxford English Dictionary). In the same manner the ability to speak more than two languages is known as multilingualism. The point to note here is that sometimes people use these terminologies interchangeably since it is not any universal law. Seeing that Saville-Troike propose, while using these both terms in place of one another people consider the difference of speaking one language or more than one language rather than counting the number of languages spoken (as cited in Kemp, p. 15). But beside this interchangeable usage of these both terms few researchers like Albert and Obler (1978) as well as Nation and McLaughlin (1986) take this usage as problematic and not correct because of the qualitative and quantitative difference between the users of two languages and the users of more than two languages (as cited in Kemp, p. 15). In the present article both the terms will be used interchangeably as for the topic going to be discussed in this article is whether multilingualism is of advantage or of disadvantage to the holder of the skill or to the individuals. A notion held many years before which still holds its form in todays world that learning more than one language is a burden to the delicate mind of a child (Iqbal, 2011). But Peal and Lambert (1962) refuted the idea through their research on bilinguals who are proficient in French and English and show better performance than the pseudo-bilinguals on both verbal and nonverbal intelligence tests (as cited in Hakuta and Diaz. 1985, p. 219). This research not only gives the directions for further inquiries but also open new doors for man curiosity. According to Iqbal (2011), the number of bilingual individual exceeded the number of monolinguals. One of the reasons for this exceeding number is found in the collaborative nature of trade processes throughout the world called globalization and language is also a commodity to it (Globalization). This commodity is therefore developed to the expectations of global usage in order to improve the global understanding and get better for the good as well as survival (Moshi).

A cognitive neuroscientist from Canada, Ellen Bialystok found out that cognitive abilities are one of the benefits in which multilingual are proved to have advantage over the monolinguals (as cited in Iqbal, 2011). Cognitive benefits of being multilingualism are established by the research of Kormi-Nouri, Shojaei, Moniri, Gholami, Moradi, Akbari-Zardkhaneh and Nilsson, (2008) in which four experiment regarding episodic memory or Wikipedia defines as autobiographical events concerning memory and semantic memory or knowledge of factual as well as general information defined by Wikipedia, were performed on the sample population of 488 children and the result turn out to be in the favor of bilinguals. All the experiments confirm the positive effect of being bilingual on the working memory and even changing cognitive demands are of no hindrance to these positive effects. Benefits of multilingualism are not just confined to the cognitive advantages but one of the main happening that can give a new dimension to the researchers is that a study verifies an alteration in the brain structure of the multilingual. Coggins, Kennedy and Armstrong (2004) on the effect of multilingualism on brain structure (as cited in European Commission, Directorate General Education and Culture) say that, the monolingual and bilingual groups exhibited significant differences in the corpus callosum midsagittal anterior midbody regional area (p. 72-73). Thus the findings of this research put forward that the learning of other languages and there use can have a considerable effect on the structure of the brain and specifically at the region called as corpus callosum (European Commission, Directorate General Education and Culture). Other study by Luk, Bialystok, Craik and Grady also show the structural integrity of white matter and by protecting white matter from deterioration through the experiences which are enrich in their nature also add to the brain reserve When areas of health are probed, one also found the benefits of being multilingual. Word Alzheimer is not new in todays world as well as it is one of a progressive disorder whose treatment is not yet effective enough to prevent it or cure it. It is a memory loss disorder due to deteriorating brain cells not like dementia which is a mild form of memory loss. This damage to brain causes difficulty in performing day to day activities of life. This situation gets worse with the passing time. But it is found that bilingualism have effect on the onset of the disease (Iqbal, 2011). Ellen Bialystok at the Baycrest Geriatric Center, Toronto studied 200 Alzheimer effected individuals and find out that the Alzheimer have late onset in bilinguals in comparison with monolinguals. Another sample of 200 subjects shows the same result that 4 year late onset is

observed in bilingual patients than the monolingual patients. One more yet smaller sample of only 40 patients study yield that at the age of 75 the damaged to the brain by the disease is at an advance stage but only in bilingual patients. Still, beside this the functioning of both bilingual and monolingual patients is of the same level. Which suggest that bilingual may possibly have tendency to better cope with the disease (as cited in Iqbal, 2011). From these researches it is obvious that the learning of other languages help to trigger mental activities which are an exercise helpful for the brain as blood and oxygen flow increases to the brain and in turn keep nerve connections active (Iqbal, 2011). Multilingualism along with other advantages also provide with the benefit of expressing oneself or ones feeling. In this regard Harris (2006) explains that the emotions which are intense in nature are better expressed in first language and to express swear words or emotions other languages than native one are used. Another study by Dewaele (2010) regarding Asian and Arab subjects show that participant flee the swear situation through code switching from own language to English (as cited in Costa & Dewaele, 2012). This show that how the holder of multiple languages have multiple choices for the expression to be right and also have access to a wider range of emotions (Costa & Dewaele, 2012). Multilingualism is not just helpful for one owns self but also can be of beneficial for others, most likely at workplace. If at a workplace where you have to make contact to multiple clients there might be a good chance to utilize the multilingual skill. As for therapist or counselor it is indeed a plus point to communicate in multiple languages so they can help patient by conversing in their native language and make them feel more connected rather than isolated but this can lead to the level of empathy where complicity can happen. This heightened empathy is the drawback of being a multilingual where as on this aspect monolinguals are at the advantageous end (Costa & Dewaele, 2012).

Conclusion
In this article the advantages of multilingualism are discussed and also get to know that beside so many of advantages it sometimes in few situations proves to be of disadvantageous. But because of those few controllable situations one cannot over look the bundles of benefits which it carries. As the argument proves that multilingualism is a resource which can be used wisely as it has the potential to cope with the present as well as upcoming challenges. It holds the

key to new era of development as arguments show reasonable effects of it. It do disappoint at few level as it become the source of compromise in therapist and patient relationship but its potential could not be compromised on this and further work should be done on the new dimension found until it is fully discovered and the last limits of its benefits to human kind is known.

References
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