Speaking more than one language fluently doesn’t just feel like it deeply changes the brain, it does actually affect the way a person processes information, how ‘agile’ the brain remains throughout life, and it might even improve its resilience following severe illness. Several studies now suggest that bilingualism or multilingualism can help keep the brain young, and here is the evidence.
Learning more than one language doesn’t just feel good, it also brings a wealth of benefits. There are the obvious ones, like being able to communicate effectively as you travel, and enriching your inner life by accessing books, films, and other materials in the languages in which they were originally written.
Speaking more than one language fluently, however, also reshapes the brain in surprising ways. Studies are increasingly finding that bilingual people, who have native command of two languages, or multilinguals, who are able to speak more than two languages, are able to maintain their brains younger and healthier for longer, and that’s no coincidence.
In the process of learning new languages, and recalling words and grammatical structures from different language sets, our brain are constantly being “exercised” and forming fresh connections.
This leads not just to a kind of constant “rejuvenation” of brain cell networks, but also to improved resilience even when the brain is “challenged” by exposure to viruses and disease. Here is what the latest research has found.
Team Health Accessible
Health & Wellness Editorial Team
HealthAccessible editorial team delivers trusted, accessible, and evidence-based health information for everyone.
