In Hong Kong, it is hardly surprising that most international schools promote bilingualism or multilingualism in one way or another. And they see many benefits for their students.

“In an increasingly globalised world, it is evident that speaking more than one language is beneficial for a child,” said Grit Cichon, deputy principal and head of German international stream at the German Swiss International School (GSIS).

•“A bilingual education helps improve cognitive ability, social interaction and communication skills. Additional benefits include enhanced memory, creative thinking, problem solving, economic opportunities, academic performance and cross-cultural appreciation.”

Most schools agree, saying that the benefits aren’t just evident in the children, but can also be seen among parents and peers as well.

“The parents themselves may likely gain exposure to an understanding of another culture through their child’s bilingual education,” said Ian Clayton, deputy head of school and head of international stream at the French International School (FIS). “This can open up new interests, experiences and connections for the whole family.”

And if the second language is relevant to the parent’s heritage or extended family, it is likely that the child learning that language will strengthen connections to their relatives, enhancing familial ties, Clayton added. To this end, parents tend to take great pride and joy in their children’s bilingual achievements.

From an academic and development perspective, an immersive bilingual mode of instruction from an early age can help with students’ working memory and mental flexibility, so that they can have greater reasoning capacities and process information faster.

“Bilingualism develops a ‘metalinguistic awareness’ in •children, which not only promotes a deeper understanding• of the mother tongue, but also helps in acquiring an additional language,” explained Meriem Belhadj, principal of primary campuses and studies (French stream) at FIS.

In other words, children also gain a better understanding of other cultures which promotes a sense of self-fulfilment, curiosity and openness to the world, which tends to lead to greater empathy and a better understanding of others.

Fostering cultural understanding

At the Singapore International School (SISHK), English and Mandarin are both taught as first languages, though the latter is offered as a second language for students whose mother tongue is not Chinese. What the school has found is that in developing students’ proficiency in Chinese writing, reading and speaking skills, students are learning more than just about the language.

“Our students also learn about Chinese culture and its philosophy which provides the context for further appreciation,” said Pamela Yoong, principal at the school.

“Through the study of the Chinese culture and philosophy, our students develop skills such as communication, collaboration, creativity, problem solving, critical thinking and reflection, all of which aims to prepare them to face future challenges in an increasingly competitive world,” Yoong added.

Others agree. Jean-Yves Guarnieri, head of university guidance and exams at FIS notes their bilingual and multilingual students tend to develop more confidence and self-esteem. Their multilingual abilities contribute to broadening their horizons by encouraging the students to have an open mind and be more tolerant towards others through understanding and relating to people who come from different cultures.

“Multilingualism is, therefore, a considerable asset which opens the field of possibilities for our students in terms of countries and languages that students will pursue after FIS,” he said.

An advantage in the workplace

Students who enter the workplace with multilingual skills also find that they have improved job prospects overall. They tend to get higher paying jobs, accelerate their promotions and access more international employment opportunities than those without such skills, according to FIS•’• Guarnieri.••GSIS’ Cichon could not agree more, adding that there is an ever-increasing need for multilingual individuals in the workforce who can communicate in more than one language in a business environment.

“People with advanced language skills are highly sought after and this trend is likely to continue in the future,” he said.

Guarnieri agrees, adding that: “The success of commercial international relations as well as political, cultural, educational and technological international cooperation requires talent which has acquired good intercultural and linguistic training.”

At SIS, Yoong also found this to be the case. She noted that its multilingual and bilingual students tend to be creative and are critical thinkers able to respond to texts with their own personal interpretations and judgments. She views these skills as necessary in today’s global and technology-driven world and workplace.

Opening doors

Added to that, educators also agree that multilingualism can enrich students’ personal lives as well as their professional experiences. Their language skills give them the ability to appreciate the cultural nuances that come with each language, Yoong explained.

This can help students to later build an international network of contacts that will help with professional and geographical mobility.

With so many clear benefits, how are schools helping students to make the most of their bilingual education?

A multipronged approach

At GSIS, the school puts a heavy emphasis on introducing different cultures and their characteristics to create global mindsets. This underscores their bilingual programme which uses different approaches depending on the age of the students.

At kindergarten level, the language of instruction is interchangeable between German and English. Then as students transition to primary, the focus is on the German language development, supported by English and Mandarin lessons. Finally, in secondary, half the subjects are taught in German and the other half in English. Exams are done in both German and English, with students bilingual and bicultural.

At FIS, the school has created three secondary streams: a classic French stream (Baccalaureate Français); and two international streams: the English IB international stream and the fully bilingual French international stream leading to the BFI (Baccalaureate Français International). Depending on the students’ needs, language capabilities and eventual goals, they apply to enter the most relevant stream.

Finally, at SISHK, subjects are taught in both English and Chinese, while English remains the predominant medium of instruction.

Accessible to all

Regardless of the mode of delivery, multilingualism is for anyone to start at any age. While there is general agreement that the younger the better, this idea exists because young children have the capability to improve their communication skills at a faster rate than adults, but educators agree that in fact it’s never too late.

At GSIS, for example, the school has put in place programmes to cater for different age groups of children who start their multilingual journey at different points in their lives. At the primary level, they have a Cultural and Language Integration Programme for Primary Years (CLIPPY), with the entry point at six to eight years old. It is an immersive programme for those with no prior knowledge of German. For children at 11 to 12 years old, they have a “fast track” programme, an accelerated German-learning experience designed for secondary international students.

Regardless of students’ entry point, the purpose is that they are cultivated in a language-rich learning environment that encourages them to become inquisitive, open minded and independent thinkers, Cichon said.

It’s also about helping students of all ages to acquire new skills around listening, speaking, reading and writing, and together it can help to promote clarity and precision of expression, Yoong also added.

With so many clear benefits, it is no wonder that students schooled in a bilingual or multilingual environment also tend to perform better in standardised tests, particularly in subjects like maths, science and reading.

The reason for this is that it has long been shown that multilingualism improves cognitive abilities such as brain plasticity, flexibility, memory concentration, problem-solving and creativity.

“These transferable skills will be useful for students in many fields,” said Guarnieri.

Finally, it has also been proven that mastering several modern languages has an impact on the ease with which new ones can be learned which is a benefit unto itself, said Charles Pierru, principal of secondary campuses and studies (French stream) at FIS.

For this reason, “the younger the child starts, the better he or she will adapt,” he advised.