Learning Journal #9

[Ian Oh]

In my opinion, bilingual speakers are not necessarily more intelligent than people who speak one language. However, bilingual speakers do have the opportunity to immerse themselves in multiple cultures. For example, I grew up in a Korean American household. Throughout my childhood, I was exposed to both Korean and American culture, which gave me two different perspectives. I think being bilingual gives you a broader knowledge base. A broader knowledge base may be correlated with intelligence, but I don't think being bilingual necessarily makes you more intelligent. Any learning opportunity that is taken advantage of is a great way to broaden the way you think and the way you process different environments. Language is a great way to experience a new culture.