Positive Parenting: Why researchers advise kids learn a second language

Among the extracurricular activities parents often promote, experts say they should encourage kids to learn a new language.

At the University of Chicago researchers had 72 kids ages four - six years old take part in an experiment.

Researchers played a game involving kids looking at things from someone else's point of view.  For kids who knew only one language, only 55% of the time did they succeed in meeting the game objective.  Kids who knew more than one language succeeded 77% of the time.

Scientists found that being around someone who speaks a second language had benefits, and just hearing another language could improve social communication skills.
