However, in order to maximize these benefits it is critical to expose an English as a Second Language (ESL) child to English education while they are as young as possible. Studies demonstrate the enormous potential for language development during early childhood and the huge difference in terms of difficulty to learn fluency in a language in later years. For example, a study of 892 children in China found that early English education which occurred before entering elementary school was instrumental in later English and Chinese achievement. This explains why English courses are increasingly incorporated into earlier grade curricula in non-English speaking countries.
Evidence of the impact on brain physiology comes from brain imaging. Andrea Mechelli of London’s Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience and experts from the Fondazione Santa Lucia in Rome have found that bilingual speakers had denser gray matter compared to monolingual study participants. This may explain why children that learn English as a second language by the time they are 5 years old demonstrate higher academic attainment and fewer social, emotional and behavioural difficulties than their non-English speaking counterparts. These are the very skills that school entrance interviews intend to evaluate to determine school readiness.
And the benefits of English classes translate into higher academic achievement in later years as well. Studies have confirmed that ESL children who learn English outperform in reading and Maths, and on standardized college entrance exams including ACTs and SATs. Learning English also better positions a student to qualify for internationally acclaimed foreign universities where high performance in English proficiency tests such as IELTS, TOEFL and GRE are standard requirements. English education is also critical for job interview performance and career success given it is often regarded as a primary prerequisite qualification for employment and an indispensable workplace tool for success in business.
English language skills are important for over 95% of employers in many non-native English-speaking countries and that the importance of English skills is increasing as business becomes more international. Employers stated that it is important to have proficiency in all four language skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening), however reading comprehension was identified as the most important language skill closely followed by speaking.
Data also reflects that foreign language skills result in higher earnings and there are several possible explanations. It may be associated with skill-based productivity increases or signal unobserved ability to employers,
Specifically in terms of English proficiency, it results in a significant increase in earnings potential because English is increasingly coming to be regarded as a lingua franca (the second language preference for non-English speakers). According to the British Council, in 2020 there were two billion people studying English. By 2115, it is predicted that only about one tenth of today’s 6,000 languages will remain, making English even more dominant.
Studies that examine the returns to speaking English in non-English speaking countries find a sizeable wage premium for speaking English relative to those that do not.
