The United States is home to a diverse array of cultures, ethnicities, and languages. It attracts visitors and immigrants from all around the world, so it’s easy to find people who can speak another language in addition to English. Census Bureau statistics show that 21% of Americans are bilingual. The team at Preply took a deep dive into this data by determining which cities have the most and least bilingual residents.

Click below to zoom.

The team defined bilingual as people who report speaking both English and one additional language “very well,” which would mean functioning at a fluency level in two languages. They created two maps to show the results. According to the team’s data, these cities have the most bilingual people in America:

• El Paso, Texas
• Los Angeles, California
• San Jose, California
• San Antonio, Texas
• New York, New York
• Houston, Texas
• San Diego, California
• Phoenix, Arizona
• San Francisco, California
• Dallas, Texas

In El Paso, the majority of the population speaks Spanish, which has been the case since 1965. Seven out of ten residents speak a language other than English. El Paso is located very close to the Mexican border, resulting in a high presence of immigrants, visitors, and family ties with Mexico. The same is true in Los Angeles, where nearly half the population is of an ethnic group that speaks Spanish. Overall, the most common second language spoken in the U.S. is Spanish, although you’ll find a wide variety of languages across the country.

As for the least bilingual cities, the team found that these 10 cities take the top spots:

• Detroit, Michigan
• Indianapolis, Indiana
• Nashville, Tennessee
• Jacksonville, Florida
• Columbus, Ohio
• Washington, D.C.
• Charlotte, North Carolina
• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Seattle, Washington

Detroit may have the fewest bilingual speakers due to its shrinking population. It’s difficult to have diversity of cultures and languages in a small population. As industries shift location, sometimes you see certain populations follow. Detroit is known for auto manufacturing, but that industry has shrunk considerably since the city’s heyday. These statistics suggest that economics can have an impact on bilingual populations.

After Spanish, common second languages include Asian languages like Mandarin or Korean. There are so many benefits to becoming bilingual. Beyond being useful in travel, it can help people in work and social situations. Approximately 43% of the world’s population is bilingual, with people from all over the world learning English online. If the team created a worldwide map of bilingual locations, they’d find that speaking two languages in daily life is common in Switzerland, where 42% of the population speaks two languages on a daily basis. In France, however, only 20% of the population speaks a language other than French. Typically, bilingual people can speak English and live in and around Paris.

Overall, the most widely spoken languages in the world are Chinese, English, and Spanish, making it beneficial for anyone to learn these languages. Bilingual people are known to be good listeners, and evidence suggests they’re more creative! It’s a valuable skill to employers, and it can improve your memory and attention span.

A new map from the team at PA Requirements displays the locations in the U.S. where children are most likely to bully and be bullied. Unfortunately, bullying is a widespread issue in the United States, with more than a third of school-age children experiencing bullying last year. The study is based on data from the National Survey of Children’s Health. The map color-codes the percentage of children who have been bullied or engaged in bullying. The result is a map that gives us a full-color illustration of the depth and severity of the American bullying problem.

Click below to zoom.

The team found that children are most likely to be bullied in Montana. In that state, 55% of children were bullied at least once in the past year, a truly shocking number. Tragically, 3.6% of Montana children reported daily bullying. Wyoming and West Virginia followed Montana for the highest instances of bullying.

Overall, these 10 states had the highest rates of children reporting being bullied at least once in the past year:

1. Montana: 55.0%
2. Wyoming: 53.8%
3. Vermont: 50.5%
4. Utah: 49.5%
5. North Dakota: 49.1%
6. Maine: 49.0%
7. Wisconsin: 48.9%
8. Colorado: 48.7%
9. Idaho: 48.4%
10. South Dakota: 47.9%

Children are also most likely to be the bullies in Montana, which makes sense. A high rate of bullying can suggest a high number of bullies. Perhaps the victims go on to become the bullies. Studies suggest that bullying can be cyclical.

These 10 states have the highest percentages of children who have bullied someone else in the past year:

1. Montana: 25.7%
2. Wyoming: 24.2%
3. South Dakota: 24.2%
4. Maine: 23.0%
5. Iowa: 21.8%
6. Colorado: 21.7%
7. North Dakota: 21.6%
8. Vermont: 20.4%
9. Utah: 20.4%
10. Missouri: 20.3%

Bullying is damaging to a child’s development. It can occur in or out of school. The four forms of bullying are physical, verbal, cyberbullying, and social/relational bullying. Relational bullying targets the victim’s social standing and can take the form of malicious gossip and rumors or exclusion from social groups.

Adults around victims can help prevent bullying, and it’s up to these same adults to set a good example and create safe spaces for children at home and at school. Some of the top tips for the prevention of bullying include:

• Teaching children to recognize bullying and understand why it’s wrong.
• Helping children learn to confidently stand up to a bully by telling them to stop and walk away to get adult help.
• Encouraging children to talk to trusted adults about bullying.
• Fostering confidence in children by encouraging them to pursue their interests and be proud of who they are.
• Modeling good behaviors, like respect and kindness.

There’s no concrete way to completely eliminate bullying, but these strategies can help create an environment where bullying is stifled. Teachers, parents, daycare workers, counselors, and social workers should all be aware of how to recognize the signs of bullying and take steps toward prevention.

None of us wants to worry about scams, theft, and safety while on vacation, but it’s an unfortunate reality in the world of vacation home rentals. These scams can ruin vacations and have a lasting impact on the lives of victims. The team at Ooma created a helpful checklist of safety tips for travelers to help them avoid vacation rental scams and other dangers abroad. The list offers tips to help you before you arrive, after you check in, and provides awareness of safety by room, as well as general safety and emergency tips.

Click below to zoom.

Before booking, vacationers should make sure their rental choice is legitimate. There are many different ways that criminals use rentals to run scams. They’ll post false advertisements that exaggerate the luxuriousness of their rental. In some cases, it might not exist at all. They may also cancel a rental at the last minute without providing a refund. They may also try to convince their renter to switch to a poorly maintained property at the last minute. Other common ways to scam a renter for money are “free Wi-Fi” that steals information and fake menus for food delivery that harvest credit card information.

Once vacationers are aware of these scams, how can they protect themselves against them? Here are some of the tips the Ooma team offers:

• Verify the owner’s area code to make sure it matches the rental location. It’s a good sign if the rental agent offers multiple ways to contact them.
• Beware of any rental agents who try to pressure you to make a decision about renting. Always take your time when booking and be wary of pushy renters.
• Ask the rental owner questions about the local area. This can be a simple question about restaurants and attractions that help prove the person is renting to tourists in good faith.
• Compare the rental pictures with Google Maps Street View images. Exterior images should appear relatively the same and help prove that the rental is located at the listed address.
• Never share your banking information or Social Security number.
• Never pay in cash, wire transfer, or gift cards.
• Ensure your rental agreement includes a refund policy.
• Check the reviews and make sure they’re legitimate. There shouldn’t be too few or too many based on the age of the listing.

The team offers a lot of general tips, too. They advise bringing a flashlight and putting tracker tags on your luggage. Only use private guest networks or a VPN when using the Internet. Check for slip-resistant surfaces and appropriate electrical outlets in the bathrooms. The rental should also have emergency exit routes, fire extinguishers, and smoke detectors. Verify that all doors and windows are properly secured. Platforms like Vrbo and Airbnb require renters to inform all guests about the presence and type of surveillance devices, which can be used to protect you, but shouldn’t infringe upon your privacy. Make sure to check your rental platform’s safety tips and policies as well.