This is a guest post written by a Gengo translator.

Learning a second language at any age is a very rewarding experience. However, young people, and especially children, have the most to gain and face many benefits.

It is widely accepted that learning a second language is easier for young people than for adults. If a child is introduced to a new language between birth and around eight years of age, they are more likely to learn the language without difficulty. It has also been found that children who learn a second language have an increased level of cognitive development. However, there may be other benefits for young learners, too.

Students who are speakers of two languages or more are expected to have higher levels of academic success throughout their school years, compared to their monolingual peers. Numerous reports show that students who have studied a second language have higher scores on standardized tests, including all sections of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).

According to a study by York University, bilingual children’s knowledge of a second language gives them an advantage when learning to read. Their ability to apply the insights and experiences of one language to another, as well as their wider experience of language, gives them a big advantage.

In addition, a child’s grasp of their first language—including a bigger and richer vocabulary—increases with second-language learning. The experience of learning a new language can bring greater understanding to their first language and encourages them to examine their mother tongue in a positive way.

Colleges and universities around the world now place an increasingly high value on knowledge of more than one language. As the admissions process becomes increasingly more competitive as the number of young people attending university grows, knowing a second or even third language adds a new dimension to an applicant’s resume. In later years, career opportunities increase for those with additional language skills, too.

Lastly, being fluent in more than one language has everyday benefits, too. These include the ability to communicate ideas in different languages and express them in different ways, as well as the capacity to make yourself understood by speaking in a clear and confident manner. All of this is likely to boost your productivity, especially in an office environment or in a company that does business globally.