Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post, all opinions are my own.
It may come as a surprise to some of you that English is not my first language. The product of an American born mother, who spent her formative years and then some in Poland and a Polish born father who came to the US as an adult, I spoke strictly Polish until about age 4. It was only when I was preparing for kindergarten that I began to learn the English language. Even then, we continued to attend Polish Mass every Sunday and I was enrolled in the local Polish school on Saturdays . . . until I somehow talked my parents into letting me dropout in the 2nd grade. Something that as an adult, I deeply regret.
My knowledge of the Polish language is now embarrassing. I can read a little, I can write even less. I understand it very well, but my conversation skills are lacking. Oh sure, I could order a cold beer (zimne piwko) at the neighborhood tap and toast to your good health (sto lat). I could request a pound of ham and some sausage links (prosze dwie laski kabanosow) at the deli, I could even leave holiday greetings on Facebook (Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia/Wielkanocnych/Nowego Roku). But even after 2 years of Polish in high school for an easy A, without daily use, my native language is sadly slipping away from me.
We are now living in a time where being comfortable with only the knowledge of the English language isn't enough. Spanish has been accepted as a second language in the US and those that are bilingual have an advantage over those that don't. But the benefits don't end with communication skills. Statistics show that the bilingual brain develops differently, learning a second language can boost math and English skills as well! Studies also show that these effects are strongest in those that learn a second language before age 5.
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Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post, all opinions are my own.
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