November 11, 2021
New research from England shows that young people who consider themselves "multilingual" tend to perform better across a wide range of subjects at school. The study, of just over 800 pupils in England, found a positive relationship between test scores and multilingual identity. A pupil had a multilingual identity if he or she felt a personal connection with other languages through knowledge and use. Those who self-identified as multilingual typically outperformed their peers not just in subjects such as French and Spanish, but in non-language subjects including math, geography, and science!
If pupils were encouraged to see themselves as active and capable language learners, it could have a really positive impact on their wider progress at school. - Linda Fisher