Advantages of Bilingual Education in Milan

With its sizeable expat community, Milan is home to a wide range of international and bilingual schools, as well as Italian schools that cater to children from international backgrounds. While living abroad poses many challenges for families, it also presents a number of distinct opportunities for children to acquire a broader cultural and linguistic perspective.

In this article, Business English teacher and regular contributor to Easy Milano, Robert Dennis, looks at the advantages of bilingualism both in early years and during later life – and even into old age. He also considers some typical concerns and misconceptions about bilingualism. Finally, he offers a representative selection of international and bilingual schools in Milan.

Cognitive Benefits of Bilingualism

Modern research has revealed a range of cognitive advantages associated with knowing two languages. Bilingual children tend to perform better than monolinguals on tasks involving “executive function” – the mental skills used for problem-solving, multitasking and focusing attention. In fact, a recent analysis of 147 studies found bilingual kids consistently outscoring their monolingual peers in tests of attention control, working memory, and the ability to switch between tasks (Yurtsever et al, 2023).

Neuroscientists believe this comes from the regular exercise the bilingual brain gets as it manages two languages: bilingual individuals constantly practice choosing one language while inhibiting the other. This mental juggling can strengthen the brain’s “attention director” and help make bilinguals adept at tuning out distractions and shifting focus when needed.

Parents often notice these benefits in everyday life – bilingual children may exhibit greater mental flexibility, memory retention, and even creativity in their thinking. Overall, growing up with two languages appears to give the brain a healthy cognitive workout, leading to sharper executive function skills from childhood onward.

Long-Term Benefits: Healthy Ageing

The advantages of bilingualism persist into older age, potentially guarding the brain against age-related decline. A number of studies in North America, Europe, and Asia suggest that lifelong bilingualism builds a “cognitive reserve” that can delay the onset of dementia symptoms. For example, a study led by researchers at UCLA found that Alzheimer’s patients who spoke two languages fluently experienced symptoms roughly four years later than monolingual patients. This delay – echoed by similar findings in Canada, India, and other countries – implies that habitual use of two languages strengthens neural networks enough to buffer against degeneration.

Bilingualism doesn’t prevent the brain changes of Alzheimer’s; instead, it helps the mind function longer before those changes show outward effects. Scientists theorise that the constant mental exercise of switching languages enhances brain regions involved in memory and attention, allowing bilingual seniors to compensate for early neural damage better than monolinguals.

In practical terms, an older adult who has been bilingual for decades might maintain their memory and thinking skills for some years more, delaying the point at which dementia symptoms significantly impair daily life. For families contemplating bilingual education for their children, this is encouraging news: nurturing an ability in two languages not only enriches the child’s development, but might also give them a protective cognitive advantage well into their golden years.

Dispelling Myths About Bilingualism

It’s natural for parents to worry about the potential downsides of raising a bilingual child, but thankfully, most of these concerns turn out to be founded on myths. One prevalent misconception is that learning two languages confuses children or causes speech delays. In reality, children are fully capable of learning multiple languages from birth without confusion.

Studies show that even infants in bilingual households can distinguish between their two languages and are not muddled by hearing both – they simply learn to sort different languages from an early age. Linguists note that what might look like “mixing” – for instance, a toddler using words from both languages – is not a sign of confusion at all. This behaviour, called “code-switching”, is completely normal in young bilinguals and shows their communication skills at work. Bilingual children quickly learn which words belong to which language and who understands each language. Over time, they naturally adjust, using the appropriate language with the corresponding person or setting.

Crucially, research has disproved the idea that bilingualism causes language delays in language development (Comeau et al, 2010). Bilingual kids, on average, say their first words and form sentences at ages similar to monolingual children. They may initially have a smaller vocabulary in each individual language, but when you combine their knowledge across both languages, their total vocabulary size is usually on a par with (or even greater than) that of their monolingual peers. In short, raising a child with two languages does not confuse them or slow them down – on the contrary, it can enhance cognitive development without impeding their speech.

Another challenge expat parents face is deciding which languages to teach a child in a multilingual family. Many international families juggle a home language (or two) and the local language of the country they live in, and they worry that focusing on one might mean sacrificing another. Experts assert that children can handle learning multiple languages, but families should plan their language strategy in a way that feels natural and sustainable.

One popular approach is the “one parent, one language” method, where each parent consistently speaks their native language to the child. For example, an Italian-speaking mother might speak Italian with the child while the English-speaking father speaks English, ensuring the child gets ample exposure to both languages in a structured way.

In Milan’s expat community, it’s common to find a child speaking English at school, Italian with friends and close family, and even other languages with relatives and acquaintances – and switching effortlessly between them.

Choosing a School in Milan

When choosing which languages to prioritise, consider your family’s needs and future plans. If you expect to return to your home country, maintaining a native-speaker level in the child’s mother tongue is important for strengthening the child’s bond with their own culture and smooth re-entry to the school system there. If you plan to stay long-term in Italy, integrate Italian proficiency both socially and academically. English remains the global language of education and career, making it a key focus for most expat and international families.

There is no one “right” choice – some families even embrace trilingualism, successfully nurturing three languages (or more – plus a dialect or two). The good news is that young children have a remarkable capacity for languages, and with enough exposure, they will pick up each one as they discover it. The process may require effort (reading books, engaging a nanny or actively mixing with speakers their own age in a target language), but countless expat families can attest that children adapt well and thrive with multiple languages as part of their lives.

So, to sum up, parents should not be afraid to pass on their native language or to expose their kids to the language of the environment they find themselves in; with patience and consistency, your child can become a confident speaker of both (or all) languages that are part of your family’s world.

International and Bilingual Schools in Milan

Families in Milan have a wide range of international and bilingual schools to choose from, offering education in English, Italian and other languages. Schools follow different curricula and teaching approaches, allowing parents to find an educational environment that best suits their child’s needs.

Some schools incorporate CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning), an educational approach in which subjects such as science or history are taught in a second language. This helps students develop both subject knowledge and language proficiency through immersive learning.

For families exploring educational options, attending a school Open Day is an excellent opportunity to meet teachers, discover the curriculum and experience the school environment firsthand.

Explore upcoming Open Days in Milan on Easy Milano’s International Guide School Open Day Calendar.

Article by Robert Dennis for Easy Milano

Robert Dennis is a writer and Business English teacher based in Milan. He has been teaching for over 30 years both in the UK and in Italy. A long-time collaborator with John Peter Sloan, Robert published Business English (Gribaudo) in 2020. The book was launched with “Il Sole 24 Ore” and sold in newsstands throughout Italy. Robert has a website for people who want to learn Business English: PayAsYouLearn.com. The site features keywords and phrases, audio and exercises to help professionals improve their language skills. A graduate in English from Oxford University, Robert is a regular contributor to Easy Milano who often writes about plays staged in English in Milan and other cultural events in the city. He is also a translator and “buongustaio” who loves Italian food! robertdennis.it