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Introduction

• There are many misconceptions about bilingualism. Around the world, people have very different expectations. And most of those expectations are largely inaccurate. As you learn a second language and begin to travel with your newly acquired language, you’ll probably encounter people who have a completely different understanding of your linguistic skills.

Being Bilingual Is Actually Pretty Common

• The idea that bilinguals are rare is prevalent in many places in the world. Around the world, there are many people who speak at least two languages. The current estimate is that more than half of all humans know at least two languages. With globalization, it is very likely that there will be a much greater percentage of the population in the next decade or two who speak at least two languages.
• There is no way to try to classify bilinguals either. They span all of the countries in the world, in all different classes and races, and regardless of age. Bilinguals tend to need both languages over the normal course of their day, so they are likely to continue to be bilingual.

You Can Be Bilingual and Still Have an Accent

• Being bilingual means that you can communicate in two languages – it doesn’t mean that it isn’t easy to tell which one was your first language. Most bilingual people have an accent (often a very thick one) that lets speakers know what their first language was. It is natural for someone who knows multiple languages to have a dominant language. It does not detract from the fact that they are knowledgeable enough to be able to claim bilingualism.
• Nor does it mean that the person has two cultures. The children of immigrants almost always know two languages, but they only adapt to one culture. People who learn their second language much later certainly only have one culture.

Bilingual Kids Have a Distinct Advantage

• For a long time, people believed that it took kids who learned two languages longer to learn either of the two languages. Not only does this theory lack evidence, but kids who learn two languages also have a number of advantages over their monolingual counterparts.
• They are better able to adapt to different situations. They are able to better understand others and can act to help others understand each other. Cognitive development is also better for children who learn two or more languages at the same time.

Location Specific Ideas of Bilingual Speakers

• While the word bilingual itself may mean a person who has the ability to speak more than one language, different parts of the world interpret this differently. Europe is probably the strictest when it comes to the expectations of someone who is bilingual. 
  They believe that a truly bilingual person does not have an accent. And their knowledge of the second language should be equal to that of a native speaker. This is why Europeans do not think there are many bilinguals in the world. Their standards are nearly unachievable for someone who did not learn two languages as a child.

The Paradox of the United States and Bilingualism

• Of all the countries in the world, it seems like the US should be the one with the most bilinguals. With a population that is almost entirely based on ancestry that came from multiple outside countries, the country is surprisingly lacking in bilingual speakers. It is estimated that over 75% of Americans are monolingual.
• Surprisingly, immigrant families are much quicker to drop their second language a generation or two after the first immigrant. Unlike areas where people fiercely cling to their native tongue, Americans have a tendency to assimilate so that English is the primary (and often only) language the family speaks.

Missed Opportunities with Language Learning

• This is, at least in part, because immigrants are encouraged to assimilate. This is compared to the adversity that many of them fled. The previous adversity caused them to cling to their language. The relative freedoms they find in the US makes them feel comfortable giving up their language and adopting English.
• The number of languages that have been spoken in the US over the course of the nation’s more than 200-year history is unrivaled. Having seen immigrants from everywhere in the world, there was the potential for the country to be incredibly diverse and rich in different languages. Instead, people have lost their original languages.
• It is truly a missed opportunity. Employers are more likely to hire people who know more than a single language. It gives you not only a better sense of communication, but it offers you a greater perspective of the world. You can help those who do not understand each other as you are more likely to understand where both sides are coming from, and you can express these views better.

Jonty Yamisha

• Entrepreneur and Linguist, Jonty Yamisha created OptiLingo after his efforts to protect his native language, Circassian, from extinction. Using scientifically proven strategies such as Spaced Repetition and Guided Immersion, OptilLingo has helped thousands finally achieve fluency. It is based in Chicago but serves language learners on a global scale.

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Doing Professional Development Right Starting a Business by Jenna Smith offers key professional development advice for anyone who wants to start a business. In addition to finding time each day to grow your own skills, you will probably need help from people who already have skills that you lack. Legal and financial skills are likely to top this list.

Introduction

• One of the most difficult things that anyone can do is start a business. It is so hard that over fifty percent of all businesses fail. Most people don’t have what it takes to start and maintain a successful business and they just don’t have the mental strength to see things through. One of the most important things for starting and running a good business is to focus on professional development. You need to have the right skills to be successful. You might even need to get a good partner who has skills that complement yours. A good partnership agreement template allows you to create the legal framework of how that partnership would be run. That way, no one feels aggrieved if things don’t work out as you want them to. Knowing how to do things in a smart way is critical in business. It is so important that you can save time and money while you work.

Get Help Online

• The process of starting a business is difficult. It can be made easy by going to online marketplaces and getting the legal help you need. You might also be able to have your partner do it. However, for some businesses, it is as simple as filing the necessary paperwork and then getting your documents. Those businesses don’t need a lot to be successful. However, most businesses are complicated and need good legal help and advice. Professional development factors into all of this because you need certain skills to be good in business. For example, someone who is building houses needs to have either the skills of an architect or a civil engineer. They need to be able to draw from their engineering expertise to finish jobs.

Developing Your Skills

• Professional development isn’t easy. Life happens very quickly, and there are a lot of things you have to do in life. For example, most people are tired when they get home from work. That means there is often no time left for professional development or other tasks. Making time to help your career is essential. That could be as little as 30 minutes every day that is dedicated to reading a book or learning a new skill. As you learn, you will find that it becomes a lot easier to learn and it creates a huge snowball for you. You soon find that you have mastered many different skills while not changing anything about your life.
• This type of frictionless growth and development is what most people need to succeed. Most business success is found just beyond your current skills. That means you need to grow and develop to get there. The first step to development is focusing on your goals. You have to know where you’re going before you can chart the course to get there. That means understanding the skills that are necessary to achieve your goals. After that, you want to find someone who can help you learn those necessary skills. That could be a school or a mentor. It could even be the school of hard knocks. That means going out into the world and getting the relevant experience by yourself.

Getting Good Legal Advice

• Another important part of business is the law. The legal system is essential when it comes to contracts and figuring out what rules you must abide by. Certain things that you think would be okay are not. Focusing on making sure you are within the limits of the law is important. A good lawyer is someone that is essential for you to get great in business. Figuring out the best lawyer can also be a difficult task. There are many things that lawyers do, and they can be very expensive. Having a good lawyer is often something that can help a business owner avoid serious consequences. That along with a professional accountant and financial planner. All of these people have the necessary skills to help you grow and succeed.

Growing a Successful Enterprise

• Business growth is the goal of every owner. You want to go from owning nothing to being a multimillionaire. This means being smart in the way you spend your money. Having the relevant knowledge of investing can help you go a long way. It is also essential to have great skills to be the best business owner you can possibly be.

Jenna Smith

• Jenna is a writer and blogger based out of San Diego, Calif. When she’s not typing away at her keyboard, you can find her playing on the beach with her kids, baking, and hiking.

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The Real World Starts Early: Turn Your Education Into Experience by Craig Middleton shows how healthy competition and challenges push people to achieve more in school, life, and work. When you push yourself to best your prior achievements, your future continually develops, progresses, and never stalls. You will continue to gain new real-world experiences if you develop the habit of maximizing opportunities early in your education. This is a message we need to share with our children.

High school sets the stage.

• Today’s high school students have moved past traditional models. Now they can have flexible schedules with online classes and save money on education through advanced placement (AP) courses, effectively starting their college career in high school. Some American teenagers can even experience internships and part-time jobs with experimental “night school” high schools cropping up.
• These contemporary approaches give students a head start to the real world, where time management and financial accountability exist without school bells and teachers as motivators. More common options help teenagers leap into mature mindsets earlier.
• College prep classes, or the most rigorous academic track their schools offer, indicate students won’t stop at a diploma but will pursue future plans.

• College entrance exam prep courses are an investment in more numerous college choices and should result in higher test scores many employers review for young hires.

• Extracurricular activities, including sports, train students in teamwork and group mindset that professional full-time work depends on.

• Volunteer work, like tutoring, pushes young people to apply their knowledge and strengths beyond themselves as they grow into their careers.

Work yourself into the real world

• After education, part-time work should be the next early valuable introduction to reality. Summer and after school jobs can pay for educational expenses, give exposure to careers and build a starter resume. From the moment you sign your new hire agreement or fill out a W2 form online, you will feel steps closer to independence past student life.
• Apply early. Research hiring processes and visit potential employers ahead of dates you can start. In spring, actively begin your search for summer work.

• Have references. Teachers, principals, and counselors can best connect your strengths for a job to your performance and commitment to education. They may also be the best resources to learn about internship programs and highly meaningful work.

• Keep perspective. Take advice from future and current employers seriously. The real world is full of rejection, so consider applications and interviews practice even if no job offers arrive.

• Finish gracefully. Education and first jobs are the foundations for recommendations you will need for more education and better jobs. Avoid missing hours, arrive on time and keep working until you give proper notice to leave for your next opportunity.

Further your education for a purpose.

• You must have substance behind your diploma, certificate, and degree collection. Good grades are adequate goals to start high school, but in the real world, achievement must create tangible results. In fact, high grades can be false indicators of capabilities since more teachers inflate them out of pressure to validate stressed students.
• Whether you are deciding on a college major or plotting a return back to school, retain personal mission and purpose in all you do. Aim for more than money as a driving force.
• Mentor younger students and professionals in programs you completed successfully.
 Volunteer somewhere related to your dream career or current field.

• Connect with fellow alumni for a strong future network.
 Share your time when others need your advice or recommendations.
• Plans to further your education and gain experience in the real world can start at any time, but the sooner the better. That way, you will be practiced in a seamless transition to more complicated stages and changes when they arrive.

Craig Middleton

• Craig is a New York City-based retired business consultant, who is an expert in education and cultural trends. He has a Masters of Business Administration and a Masters in Education from St. Johns and loves sharing his knowledge on the side through his writing. If you have any questions or comments you can direct them to Craig at craigmiddleton18@gmail.com.

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Introduction

• Learning should be a lifelong thing. It should also be something you encourage outside of traditional education. When you send your child away each morning to school, you might think that learning stops when they close the doors for the day or when homework is done. But the truth is, your child should be constantly learning throughout the day. Children always need to be stimulated for proper brain development. That means that from the time your child comes home from school to their bedtime, they should be learning something, whether it’s a simple rule or an important concept. This will not only keep him or her brain working, but it’ll also make them more eager to learn while they sit in a classroom.

1. Help Your Child Discover Interests and Passions

• Expose your child to different experiences so that she can discover what she enjoys doing. Taking her to places like museums, theatrical performances, zoos, etc. will give her a variety of experiences she can choose from and learn from. You can also take your child to your local library to check out books on a variety of topics. He can pick out books he’s interested in, which can help him discover his passions. This can also help determine what he chooses as a career path down the road.

2. Share Your Passions

• You can also share your own interests with your kids. Sharing what you enjoy doing will spark curiosity, dedication and creativity in your children. It will also show them skills that are specific to your interests. You can talk to your kids about a new recipe you want to try, interesting articles you came across, or funny experiences you’ve had throughout your life. This process encourages learning. While not in a traditional classroom setting, sharing your passions and experiences with your children can help them develop a desire to learn. As they take in new information from a person they trust and look up to, they’ll be more open to learning experiences at school.

3. Provide Hands-On Experiences

• Hands-on experiences are great for solidifying a concept and bringing it to life. They also make learning a lot more enjoyable because they involve activities that keep children busy and engaged. For example, if your child is taking a class in earth science, take him outdoors to collect rocks. Or if she’s learning about aquatic animals at school, take her to the aquarium. These experiences will make learning an adventure for your child and make her more willing to take in and retain new information in class.

4. Make Learning Fun

• To some kids, learning can be a bore, especially if it’s one of their least favorite subjects. Did you know that you can turn the dullest subjects into a learning adventure? Songs, academic games, scavenger hunts and creative activities like art projects, music or writing are all great ways to make learning a fun and enjoyable experience for kids. Many teachers are doing this as well, so if you’re doing it at home, you’re providing your kids with double the fun and double the learning.

5. Promote Reading

• Being a lifelong learner isn’t about learning specific concepts, lessons and hard skills like negotiation training. It’s more about the soft skills you gain from certain experiences. Reading, for example, helps children develop the ability to ask questions, test hypotheses and learn other points of view. Regardless of the subject, reading helps kids perfect these skills and more.
• This means that you should keep a ton of books in your home to teach your child to love learning. Keep engaging and immersive stories on hand to keep your kids interested and eager to dive in.
• Many kids don’t enjoy learning, especially if it involves sitting in a classroom all day. What matters is how you encourage learning at home and away from the classroom. Your child will thank you for it later.

Craig Middleton

• Craig is a New York City-based retired business consultant, who is an expert in education and cultural trends. He has a Masters of Business Administration and a Masters in Education from St. Johns and loves sharing his knowledge on the side through his writing. If you have any questions or comments you can direct them to Craig at craigmiddleton18@gmail.com.

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