National Adult Literacy Database

Research has shown that being bilingual confers many cognitive benefits, including diminishing the effects of aging on the brain. In Canada, being able to function in both English and French can also have economic benefits.

The authors of this document note that although most Canadian children are taught French or English as a second language in school, these lessons often do not result in bilingualism. As well, many Anglophone students who do succeed in becoming bilingual feel that their French as a Second Language (FSL) skills deteriorate quickly when not used regularly.

The authors offer a number of suggestions for maintaining the bilingualism advantage, including continuing French instruction during postsecondary education; taking part in exchange programs; building relationships with people who speak French; and listening to the radio, watching television, and reading in the second language daily.