The document argues that bilingualism in Puerto Rico should be promoted for three key reasons. First, bilingualism heightens one's ability to monitor their environment by requiring keeping track of language changes. Second, learning a second language has a positive effect on intellectual growth and enhances children's mental development. Third, bilingualism strengthens executive functions like problem solving, mental flexibility, and attentional control that are important for cognitive processing. The document provides evidence from researchers and studies that bilingual individuals display advantages in these areas.

1. Language is Power
Jaime R. Gutiérrez

2. Hook

3. Thesis Statement
• I'm in favor of promoting
biligualism in Puerto Rico

4. Subtopic #1
• A heightened ability to
monitor the environment.

5. Evidence
“Bilinguals have to switch languages
quite often — you may talk to your
father in one language and to your
mother in another language,” says
Albert Costa, a researcher at the
University of Pompeu Fabra in Spain.
“It requires keeping track of changes
around you."

6. Subtopic #2
• Has a positive effect on intellectual growth
and enriches and enhances a child's
mental development

7. Evidence
• Kathleen Marcos (1998) reviews the
personal, cognitive, academic, and
societal benefits of second language
learning.

8. Subtopic #3
• Executive functions are those cognitive
processes such as problem solving,
mental flexibility, attentional control,
inhibitory control, and task switching.

9. Evidence
• Bilingual individuals have been
shown over a number of different
tasks and situations to be better
at such processes; suggesting an
interaction between being
bilingual and executive functions.

10. Call To Action