学进去

Experts analyzed how language can affect children’s lives and the role it plays in everyday life They also determined which languages tend to lead to the best career opportunities as an adult. “We believe that language learning is hugely beneficial for children’s development and it is a real investment for the future,” said Antonella Sorace, professor of developmental linguistics (语言学) at Edinburgh University. The study involved a survey of 2,001 parents with children under the age of 18, as well as another survey of more than 500 business leaders.

So which languages took the top spot? Results indicated that children should be learning French, German, and/or Chinese if they want to be successful within the next ten years. Mastering a second language opens the door to new markets for businesses and allows them to create new relationships with potential partners. Besides being able to speak another language, the academic and interpersonal skills that can be acquired from learning a new language are important as well. “Children who are exposed to different languages become more aware of different cultures, other people, and other points of view. They also tend to be better than monolinguals (只用单语的人) at multitasking and are often more advanced readers,” said Sorace.

A vast majority of parents surveyed in this study (85 percent) believe it is important for their children to learn a second language, and about one in four believe it will increase their child’s career opportunities and improve their chance of being employed. The future employment markets are in need of space tour guides, robot coaches, front-line e-commerce workers, nurses etc. No matter what a child choose to be, multilinguals and cross-culture talents will probably have a good chance to take the lead. However, 45 percent of parents surveyed admit that their child or children cannot speak a second language.

If you want your child to stand out from the crowd, follow the habits of parents of successful people-give children chores, set high but realistic expectations, get yourself educated, make time for bonding, accept and recognize their feelings—and, of course, make sure they learn one of the three success languages!

1．Who might be a person that took part in the survey?

A．A young technician with no child.	B．A farmer with a 19-year-old child.
C．A librarian with a 16-year-old child.	D．A middle-aged reporter with no child.

2．What are the benefits of people’s mastering a second language?
① Developing one’s strong will.
② Improving the ability to observe things.
③ Acquiring academic and interpersonal skills.
④ Having access to new markets for businesses.
⑤ Forming new relationships with potential partners.

A．①③⑤

B．③④⑤

C．①②④

D．②③④

3．How many parents surveyed believe learning a second language will increase their child’s career opportunities?

A．About 500.

B．About 600.

C．About 700.

D．About 800.

4．What is the aim of the last paragraph?

A．To present some parents’ opinions.	B．To offer readers some suggestions.
C．To explain some concepts.	D．To tell readers a story.