SPEAKING two languages rather than just one has obvious practical benefits in an increasingly globalized world. But in recent years, scientists have begun to show that the advantages of bilingualism are even more fundamental than being able to converse with a wider range of people. Being bilingual, it turns out, makes you smarter. It can have a profound effect on your brain, improving cognitive skills not related to language and even shielding against dementia in old age.

This view of bilingualism is remarkably different from the understanding of bilingualism through much of the 20th century. Researchers, educators and policy makers long considered a second language to be an interference, cognitively speaking, that hindered a child’s academic and intellectual development.

They were not wrong about the interference: there is ample evidence that in a bilingual’s brain both language systems are active even when he is using only one language, thus creating situations in which one system obstructs the other. But this interference, researchers are finding out, isn’t so much a handicap as a blessing in disguise. It forces the brain to resolve internal conflict, giving the mind a workout that strengthens its cognitive muscles.

Bilinguals, for instance, seem to be more adept than monolinguals at solving certain kinds of mental puzzles. In a 2004 study by the psychologists Ellen Bialystok and Michelle Martin-Rhee, bilingual and monolingual preschoolers were asked to sort blue circles and red squares presented on a computer screen into two digital bins — one marked with a blue square and the other marked with a red circle.

In the first task, the children had to sort the shapes by color, placing blue circles in the bin marked with the blue square and red squares in the bin marked with the red circle. Both groups did this with comparable ease. Next, the children were asked to sort by shape, which was more challenging because it required placing the images in a bin marked with a conflicting color. The bilinguals were quicker at performing this task.

The collective evidence from a number of such studies suggests that the bilingual experience improves the brain’s so-called executive function — a command system that directs the attention processes that we use for planning, solving problems and performing various other mentally demanding tasks. These processes include ignoring distractions to stay focused, switching attention willfully from one thing to another and holding information in mind — like remembering a sequence of directions while driving.

Why does the tussle between two simultaneously active language systems improve these aspects of cognition? Until recently, researchers thought the bilingual advantage stemmed primarily from an ability for inhibition that was honed by the exercise of suppressing one language system: this suppression, it was thought, would help train the bilingual mind to ignore distractions in other contexts. But that explanation increasingly appears to be inadequate, since studies have shown that bilinguals perform better than monolinguals even at tasks that do not require inhibition, like threading a line through an ascending series of numbers scattered randomly on a page.

The key difference between bilinguals and monolinguals may be more basic: a heightened ability to monitor the environment. “Bilinguals have to switch languages quite often — you may talk to your father in one language and to your mother in another language,” says Albert Costa, a researcher at the University of Pompeu Fabra in Spain. “It requires keeping track of changes around you in the same way that we monitor our surroundings when driving.” In a study comparing German-Italian bilinguals with Italian monolinguals on monitoring tasks, Mr. Costa and his colleagues found that the bilingual subjects not only performed better, but they also did so with less activity in parts of the brain involved in monitoring, indicating that they were more efficient at it.

The bilingual experience appears to influence the brain from infancy to old age (and there is reason to believe that it may also apply to those who learn a second language later in life).

In a 2009 study led by Agnes Kovacs of the International School for Advanced Studies in Trieste, Italy, 7-month-old babies exposed to two languages from birth were compared with peers raised with one language. In an initial set of trials, the infants were presented with an audio cue and then shown a puppet on one side of a screen. Both infant groups learned to look at that side of the screen in anticipation of the puppet. But in a later set of trials, when the puppet began appearing on the opposite side of the screen, the babies exposed to a bilingual environment quickly learned to switch their anticipatory gaze in the new direction while the other babies did not.

Bilingualism’s effects also extend into the twilight years. In a recent study of 44 elderly Spanish-English bilinguals, scientists led by the neuropsychologist Tamar Gollan of the University of California, San Diego, found that individuals with a higher degree of bilingualism — measured through a comparative evaluation of proficiency in each language — were more resistant than others to the onset of dementia and other symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease: the higher the degree of bilingualism, the later the age of onset.

Nobody ever doubted the power of language. But who would have imagined that the words we hear and the sentences we speak might be leaving such a deep imprint?

Yudhijit Bhattacharjee is a staff writer at Science.

“One of our students Cristobal Quezada has successfully applied for a new position in the mining industry.

After a long process and a 2 hour online English interview with Tucson Arizona he has been accepted and will start his new position in July as a strategic business analyst searching for business opportunities in today’s global market.

Congratulations again Cristobal and it was a pleasure working with you and seeing you achieve your goals.”

Craig Wilson

Here are some comments from Cristobal below:

“I would like to congratulate Chilenglish for the work we have done together. My experience in preparing the IELTS test and working personally with Craig Wilson were absolutely beneficial. In this regard I would like to say that Craig’s approach and manner during my lessons was always showing all of his commitment to make me improve and polish the different weaknesses I had, during nearly six months of hard work.

One of the things I would like to mention is that most of his lessons are, in spite you work hard, he can be versatile and change the subject covering, from difficult grammar to coaching in business and life related issues. This is very important when you are very demanding on yourself and want to keep the class flowing and therefore you are never bored.

In addition to this I have to recognize the strengths in Craig’s style are his high level of support in helping you to get the confidence to do the IELTS test,helping you with your pronunciation and immerse yourself into the English mind-set.

I sincerely recommend Chilenglish as a very good alternative to enhance your English especially if you need close support, a friendly environment and professional dedication.

Good luck ahead…”

Felicitaciones Cristóbal por tu nuevo trabajo y promoción.

Uno de nuestros estudiantes, Cristóbal Quezada, ha aplicado con éxito a un nuevo puesto en la industria minera.

Después de un largo proceso y de dos horas en línea realizando una entrevista en inglés con Tucson Arizona, ha sido aceptado y empezará su nuevo empleo en Julio, como un analista de negocios estratégicos en busca de oportunidades de negocio en el mercado global actual.

Felicitaciones nuevamente Cristóbal, ha sido un placer trabajar contigo y haberte visto alcanzar tus metas.

Craig Wilson

A continuación, algunas palabras de Cristóbal:

“Me gustaría agradecer a Chilenglish por el trabajo que hemos realizado juntos. Mi experiencia preparándome para la prueba IELTS y el trabajar junto a Craig Wilson fue absolutamente beneficioso. Al respecto quisiera decir que el enfoque de Craig y su manera de realizar las clases estuvieron siempre marcadas por su compromiso al hacerme mejorar y pulir las diferentes debilidades que tenía, durante casi seis meses de arduo trabajo.

Una de las cosas que me gustaría mencionar es que la mayoría de sus lecciones son, a pesar del trabajo duro, versátiles y puede cambiar el asunto que toca, desde la gramática difícil hasta negocios o temas relacionados con la vida. Esto es muy importante cuando eres muy exigente contigo mismo y quieres mantener la fluidez de la clase y además nunca aburrirte.

Con respecto a esto tengo que reconocer que los puntos fuertes en el estilo de Craig son su alto nivel de apoyo al ayudarte a conseguir la confianza para rendir el examen IELTS, la pronunciación y para sumergirte a ti mismo en el mundo de pensar en inglés.

Sinceramente recomiendo Chilenglish como una muy buena alternativa para mejorar su inglés, especialmente si necesita apoyo cercano, un ambiente agradable y dedicación profesional”.

Buena suerte en el futuro…

Cristóbal Quezada

Today we look at the word kick, laying out as much of its use in English as possible.

Things you need to know to get started:

The Idea of Kicking involves

1 – feet

2 – and almost without exception involves some type of impact, usually with some fast motion.

Many things can be kicked, from a ball to a person, to an idea.

Kick can be combined with many prepositions to specify direction and intensity of impact,

such as kick down, kick in, kick up, kick through, kick around, kick out, kick off.

Depending on how it is used and what words it is combined with, kick can have either a positive or a negative connotation.

These ideas are the core of any meaning of the word kick and it’s a good idea to keep them in mind when looking at the more metaphorical and idiomatic uses of the word.

Basic uses of the word:

The striker kicked the ball through the goal.

The martial artist did a cool spinning kick.

Babies kick when they are inside the womb.

The police kicked down the door to enter the house.

(all of these examples are straightforward and involve an actual leg and foot, a kicker and a thing kicked)

This is where it starts to get more complex:

1—If the game “kicked off at 7 o’clock”, it began or got started at 7 o’clock. This comes from American Football where a game officially begins when the game ball is kicked off a tee by one team toward the opposing team.

Another example is “The Rolling Stones kicked off their concert with the classic song “Sympathy for the Devil”. We see that kick off can be used for any event that gets started, like a concert, a game, a project, a TV program, etc.

2— “Joe’s girlfriend kicked him out of the house.” means that Joe was expelled from the house. The idea here is that something [Joe] is being kicked away and removed from some boundary [the house]. A person can also be kicked out of a club, a country, a party, etc., again reinforcing the idea of being expelled from a given area.

3—“The marketers kicked around the idea for a few days.” means they thought about the idea, discussed it, and contemplated it, for a few days. The idea here works like a ball that you pass from player to player in soccer, looking for a way to put the ball/idea into action. Note: if a person complains about getting kicked around, they are complaining about being abused or disrespected or not taken seriously by others. Here the person is the metaphorical ball.

The next few examples (4-7) all have a similar idea in common: kick as a drug/stimulant and its effect on people.

4—If the doctor tells you that “the medication will kick in in about one hour”, then the medication will take effect in one hour. The medicine here acts like a foot kicking in a door. As it kicks in, you’ll feel the impact of the dosage of medicine. Here, your body is the thing being kicked and the drug being the metaphorical foot.

5—“This beer/drink has kick.” Means this beer/drink has potency. Again, similar to the idea of impact/effect from the medicine, whatever drug the drink has [alcohol], will have an effect on you. The use here is productive because 1) “kick” has fewer syllables than “potency” and 2) its use creates a more vivid image of the strength and effect of the drink.

6—Frank Sinatra sings the song “I get a kick out of you” written by Cole Porter. This song typifies the idea of kick as stimulant/drug/source of pleasure or excitement/thrill. In the song, he contrasts the things that he doesn’t feel a kick from (cocaine, an airplane, champagne) to the object of the song, who he gets great pleasure from. It’s important to note that this pleasure comes from the characteristics of the person, the traits they have and the effect [like a drug] that those characteristics have on a person. Here is a link the Frank Sinatra version of the song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtwO2tKZmwQ

One can get a kick out of anything: a person, drugs, sports, games, reading, etc.

7—“I like to drive fast just for kicks.” Means I like to drive fast for fun. Similarly, one can get a kick out of driving fast.

8—Melinda loves to kick off her shoes when she gets home.                                                                  (Melinda loves to get her shoes off by shaking them off as if kicking into the air)

9—They took to the child to the dentist kicking and screaming.

(The child was protesting a lot about going to the dentist)

10—It’s common to say “Don’t kick a man when he’s down.”

(don’t cause more harm or damage to a person when they are already in a bad situation in life)

11—On weekends, I like to kick back and relax on my sofa.

( . . . I like to be in a relaxed position . . .)

12—I was hard to kick the habit of smoking.

(. . . quit . . .)

13—I was kicking myself for not buying the TV when it was on sale; now it costs $100 more.

(I am angry at myself, I feel regret. Here kick means punishment, pain.)

14—if someone is “alive and kicking” they are doing well healthwise.

In some dialects, the term “kick it” is used for hanging out with or spending time with your friends:

I like to kick it with my friends after work

Kick can also be found as a compound word:

Sidekick – Robin is Batman’s sidekick. [assistant]

Kickback – The politician took illegal kickbacks from anonymous sources. [bribes, amounts of money in exchange for favors]

Try your knowledge of kick with the quiz below.

1. Once you are hooked on drugs, it is hard to _______.

2. I _______ for not investing in that company when the stock was just pennies per share.

3. It can’t always be all work and no play; sometimes you just have to ____________.

4. After semesters of academic probation they finally _____ him ____ of school.

5. The celebrations are set to ___________ at 6 p.m. and continue through midnight.

6. He never arrests any corrupt politicos because they keep him well fed on sizable ______.

7. Many superheroes have famous ___________ who help them fight crime.

8. I’ve always _______________ watching kids play, they are really entertaining.

9. He had a serious car accident but after a month in the hospital he’s _______________.

10. When Jimmy was a kid, bullies always ______ him _______ but after martial arts classes he was able to stand up for himself and stop the abuse.

It’s important to note that the above list is by no means exhaustive. New meanings of kick pop up with the evolution of language. Recently I heard the sentence “I’m on a Sopranos [TV series] kick.” If you look at the above definitions you might be able to derive a meaning of the expression. Perhaps something along the lines of Sopranos acting as a stimulant/drug/source of pleasure.

I encourage readers to post their own sentences using the word as well as questions they may have about the examples provided.

I previously worked as a language assistant for the Universidad Catolica del Norte in Antofagasta, but with Chilenglish I’ve found that my classes are with one or two students instead of 30!

With each new student, I determine their level and begin with general grammatical reinforcement.

Class by class I evaluate how they progress and prepare a class schedule that includes a balance of grammar, development of language skills, (listening, speaking, reading and writing) and vocabulary building.

In my individual class plans I make sure that each class begins with a game, followed by an introduction to the aspect to be covered in the day’s lesson.

We then review the grammar, through reading or listening, do practice exercises and then use the grammar in appropriate authentic activities, either speaking or writing.

I then finish by reviewing any new vocabulary learned in this class or previous classes.

I often create my own worksheets, to make them more personal for each individual student and I take my authentic listening and reading material from the Internet; CNN, BBC and YouTube for example.

Alternatively I work from textbooks, Business Results and Interchange, or I give purely conversational classes.

I frequently plan these around a news article to facilitate interesting conversation points.

I am deeply enthusiastic about teaching, as I hope this will become my future career.

I believe that learning a language should be fun, especially as it is a difficult thing for most people to do. I feel I am friendly and approachable for all my students.

I was also a language student myself, (I’ve studied Spanish for several years), so I know what language aspects are confusing and can relate to students’ difficulties when studying.

I believe that with dedication from both teacher and student, anyone can master a foreign language.

Hello Everyone,

English is difficult. English is uncomfortable. English is embarrassing.

ENGLISH IS USEFUL. Therefore it is worthwhile!!!!! English will change your life.

English will help you earn more money, English will make you more popular and English will make you seem more beautiful. WHY? Because it is difficult!!!!!!!

We pay people more money to do the things we cannot do. We admire and envy the people who can do things we cannot. If you speak English, (or any other language for that matter) you will be more valuable.

English today is important and learning and mastering English is a way of distinguishing you from the rest. A large amount of people in Chile have certificates and diplomas from many different universities. Although English is difficult and a relatively long process I believe it is much quicker and probably less expensive than studying an MBA for.

English will give you access to higher paid jobs in today’s global networking professional community.

English is difficult. Yes! Because of this English is worthwhile. English is worthy of your investment in time and money.

Everybody can learn English. Would you like to?

Hello Chilenglish teachers and students

And thanks for joining another “Inglés con tragos” event in Gringolandia!!!

As you can see by some of the photos that have been circulating on the social network pages, Inglés con tragos are a lot of fun and particularly useful for students and teachers alike.

Inglés con tragos is designed to be fun, but it is also a bit of a challenge for the students who are at the intermediate levels.

There will be a lot of different accents to listen to, as you know our teachers are from all parts of the English speaking world such as the UK, the USA, Canada and Australia. This is possibly the closest we can get to the English speaking world experience without actually getting on an aeroplane.

Our last Inglés con Tragos event was an enjoyable experience for everyone.

Hello Everybody,

This Friday at Flanneries bar was a fantastic night and I would like to thank everyone for their participation at our “Ingles con tragos”.

I had a lot of fun and  my parents Gaye and Graham also had a good time. Jonathan has put some photos on our website for you all to see.(www.chilenglish.com). Jonno, great photos well done.

Simon thanks for you spending some time with us, as I know you had two events running simultaneously. Erika your presence was missed we hope that you can come next time. Cristobal, everybody was impressed with your English very good effort. Jocelyn thank you also for coming and meeting all of us.

Elena from “Valparaiso Indiana” I would like to thank you for your attendance as the newest addition to our team. Valeria thank you for coming also, 100 % English language participation. Congratulations. Valeria please bring your partner next time as you told me that he speaks good English. I would like to thank two of our ex students Mariela and Cristian for participating, we also would like you to keep attending in the future.

If you like you might also want to bring a friend, no problem.Thank you to Liliana our newest student, not very easy for you but after some more classes with Jonathan I think you will be fine.Nicola I hope you had a good evening meeting a couple more “Brits”.I know Leo was working but we hope that Leo can attend next time.Leo is a great example to all our students of what is possible, his English is excellent.Eric we understand that Claudia is pregnant and the smoking is not ideal for her.We hope you can make it next time.

We all had a good time.

Hope to see you all again at the next Inglés con tragos, which will be organized in January 2011.

This will be a good chance for us to get together and practice English after Christmas celebrations.

Thanks to everyone for making this an enjoyable experience. Looking forward to seeing you at the next Inglés con tragos.

Craig Wilson

Chilenglish Director

Para muchos chilenos resulta un trauma aprender a hablar inglés, ya seas por cabezas duras o por tímidos. Y cuando ya se manejan algo y pueden hablar lo básico, les da verguenza hacerlo porque alguien se puede reír de ellos si se equivocan.

Pensando en ese perfil es que el australiano Craig Wilson, director del instituto Chilenglish de Providencia, se le ocurrió crear un novedoso taller para alentarlos a practicar este idioma extranjero: que mejor que con un pisco sour o un mojito cubano en la mano.

Lo bautizamos “Inglés con tragos” pensando en el término chileno de café con piernas, claro que aquí no hay nadie en bikini” dice Craig, riendo.

“Los hacemos una o dos veces en el mes, depende de la demanda. Participan nuestro alumnos del instituto, pero también a amigos o inscribirse gratis cualquier persona. La idea es practicar la conversación”

Hello Chilenglish teachers and students

And thanks for joining another “Inglés con tragos” event in Gringolandia!!!

As you can see by some of the photos that have been circulating on the social network pages, Inglés con tragos are a lot of fun and particularly useful for students and teachers alike.

Inglés con tragos is designed to be fun, but it is also a bit of a challenge for the students who are at the intermediate levels.

There will be a lot of different accents to listen to, as you know our teachers are from all parts of the English speaking world such as the UK, the USA, Canada and Australia. This is possibly the closest we can get to the English speaking world experience without actually getting on an aeroplane.

Our last Inglés con Tragos event was an enjoyable experience for everyone.

We met some new students: Diego from Atento Chile and Cristian from Tostaduria Talca.

We also said farewell to two of our teachers who were both returning home: Bree to Australia and Charlotte to NZ.

I would like to thank Jonno for introducing me to michelada with tabasco sauce. (Thanks Jonno!!! but it could be the last time I drink beer lemon and tabasco sauce in the same glass).

I still believe that my accent is not the most difficult for students to understand. I am giving that distinction to Simon Morris.

Congratulations Simon keep up the good work.

Hope to see you all again at the next Inglés con tragos, which will be organized in December 2010.

This will be a good chance for us to get together and practice English before Christmas celebrations.

Thanks to everyone for making this an enjoyable experience. Looking forward to seeing you at the next Inglés con tragos.

Craig Wilson

Chilenglish Director