Did you know you could be bilingual? Bilingual refers to individuals who can function in more than one language. Bilingualism is a characteristic not only of individuals, but also of societies (Introduction 1). Bilingualism has been around for a long time because traders of all kinds go to another country and pick up some of that country's language and bring it back with them. According to studies conducted by the National Center for Family Literacy and the Center for Applied Linguistics, you are more likely to be bilingual at a young age than in your fifties because you are more impressionable when you are young. Students should be required to study a foreign language because it helps get a better paying job, helps later in life and helps fight Alzheimer's. Can being bilingual help you get a better paying job? The answer to this question is yes, it can help you. Being bilingual opens up a world of opportunities in the workforce, some examples of this are the company flying you to another country to close the deal because they can't understand them, controlling that factory for the company there or closing the agreement with the natives who live there. You can get paid better for being bilingual because you can work in more areas than people who are not bilingual. The National Center for Family Literacy and the Center for Applied Linguistics say more and more people are enrolling in English language programs not only “to improve their English proficiency, but also to find a job, complete a high school diploma or a higher education degree, support their candidacy for American citizenship, and develop skills that will help their children succeed academically” (Introduction 1). Being bilingual can help you later... middle of paper ...... you read being bilingual can help not only you, but the entire world. Works Cited “Introduction to Should the United States Be Multilingual?: In Question.” Should the United States be multilingual? Ed. Amy Francesco. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2011. In question. Opposing points of view in context. Network. February 4, 2014.SNOW, CATHERINE E. and MARGARET FREEDSON-GONZALEZ. “Bilingualism, second language learning, and English as a second language.” Encyclopedia of education. Ed. James W. Guthrie. 2nd edition. vol. 1. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2003. 181-185. Opposing points of view in context. Network. February 6, 2014. Wright, Fred W., Jr. "BOOST YOUR BRAIN WITH A SECOND LANGUAGE; Study Finds Being Bilingual and Staying Mentally Stimulated May Help Fight Alzheimer's." Tampa Bay Times [St. Petersburg, Florida] January 22, 2014: 7S. Opposing points of view in context. Network. 4 February. 2014.