WHY LEARN DLI?

Many parents may ask why they should have their student learn a second language? There are many reasons! This includes:

• improved academic performance

• improved college acceptance rates

• improved scholarship opportunities in college

• improved job prospects 

• improved confidence

• improved ability to travel

• and many more! 

And starting your child in a DLI program is one of the best times to help your child learn a new language. If you would like to learn more about the details of how DLI will improve your child’s experience in the classroom and throughout their life, please read this short fact sheet <link to a fact sheet – I believe that the state has some sheets they have produced to promote DLI>

WHICH LANGUAGE?

It’s hard to go wrong with which language you pick. Both Portuguese and Spanish are in high demand in business, and both have large native-speaking communities along the Wasatch Front. Portuguese and Spanish are similar, so your child will find that by learning one language they will be able to understand much of the other and potentially become trilingual. The most important thing to remember is that whichever language your child learns, they will still get all of the benefits of learning a second language! 

    BENEFITS OF PORTUGUES

1. Portuguese is the official spoken language of nine countries (Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Cape Verde, Timor Leste, Equatorial Guinea, Guine-Bissau, Mozambique and São Tomé e Príncipe), representing over 270 million people.

2. Learning Portuguese makes it very easy to subsequently learn Spanish. In fact, it is considered one of the easiest language transitions in the world (fluent Portuguese speakers being able to learn Spanish in mere months), even easier than a Spanish speaker learning Portuguese! This means Portuguese is your door to being trilingual!

3. In addition, Portuguese is widely spoken on four continents: 

   • Europe (Portugal and Portuguese islands of Madeiras and the Azores) 

   • South America (Brazil)

   • Africa (Angola, Mozambique, Guiné-Bissau, São Tomé e Príncipe)

   • Asia (East Timor, Macau in China, and Goa in India)

4. Portuguese is the fastest growing European language in the world, and it is the third most spoken language in the Western World (after English and Spanish) and the sixth most widely spoken language in the world.

5. 25% of the population of the Southern Hemisphere speaks Portuguese.

6. There are many Portuguese and Brazilian immigrants living in the United States, currently there are nearly 1.5 million native Portuguese speakers. 

7. The National Defense Education Act of 1958 declared Portuguese as a critical language for national security and diplomacy.

8. Portuguese enables you to participate in the global economy! Brazil is the 9th largest economy in the world, with important technology, aviation, finance, medicine, tourism, agricultural, energy, and natural resources sectors.

9. Portuguese is an official or working language in many of the most important international organizations, such as the Organization of American States, the Union of South American Nations, the European Union African Union, Mercosul (The Common Market of the South -- Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay), the Organization of Ibero-American States, the Community of Portuguese Language Countries.

10. After English, Portuguese is the most widely used language on internet websites.

11. Develop an appreciation for a rich world of Portuguese literature and art, including a Nobel laurate José Saramago and the famous Renaissance epic Os Lusíadas.
     

    BENEFITS OF SPANISH

1. Over 430 million people speak Spanish worldwide. 

2. Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language in the United States, with over 33 million speakers. 

3. 20 countries in four continents use Spanish as their official language: 

   • North America (Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Paraguay, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama)

   • South America (Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Venezuela, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, Uruguay)

   • Europe (Spain)

   • Africa (Equatorial Guinea)

4. Globally, Spanish is the most common second-language after English. 

5. Mexico is one of the United States’ most important trading partners, especially in the natural resources, manufacturing, and technology sectors. 

6. Spanish is an in-demand language for many business sectors, with many US and Canadian multinational companies investing in business operations in Central and South America. 

7. The National Defense Education Act of 1958 declared Spanish as a critical language for national security and diplomacy.

8. Many prominent international languages use Spanish as an official language including the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, the Organization of Ibero-American States, the World Health Organization, the World Trade Organization, the Caribbean Community, the Organization of American States, and the North American Free Trade Agreement.

9. Open a world of literature and music, including Don Quixote – which has sold more copies than any other book in the world.