The brain of those who know two languages ​​is at an advantage, especially if they are very different from each other

The Mandarin Chinese, the most spoken language in the world, has minimal grammar but arduous vocabulary and writing. Also for this reason, perhaps, shapes the brains of bilinguals who speak it together with English, a relatively simple language, in a very different way compared to what happens in those who, in addition to English, speak fluently a language that is more similar to it in writing and structure, such as French.

Research

This was demonstrated by research published in Science Advances conducted on Anglo-Chinese and Anglo-French bilinguals: generally the studies focus on the differences between bilinguals and those who speak only one language, in this case bilinguals who master similar languages ​​were compared with others who “chew” even a difficult and particular language such as Chinese, analyzing the volunteers with functional magnetic resonance imaging while they saw various images or letters or words in different languages.

The data shows that in the brains of speakers of similar languages, the visual word form area, an area of ​​the brain essential for us to read, does not activate differently when seeing words in each of the two known languages; when the second language is complex like Chinese instead «Chinese neurons» light up.

Specialized areas

«A galaxy, a constellation of specialized areas in recognizing words in this language that overlap with brain areas responsible for facial recognition,” the authors write. «When we see a face we do not recognize the nose, eyes and mouth as separate parts but as a whole; something similar happens when Chinese bilinguals see their words”, observes cognitive scientist Minye Zhan who conducted the study.

Different languages ​​can therefore shape the brains of bilinguals differentlywhich certainly has peculiarities that distinguish it from that of those who speak only one language.

The polyglot brain, according to studies in recent years, is more efficient and for example he has a better working memory and is able to focus his attention better on important details, especially in situations that require concentration and immediate decisions: accustomed to “silencing” the idioms he is not using at that moment, he is able to concentrate on a one thing at a time without distractions, making the best use of one’s cognitive resources.

Reserve of neurons

This also seems to increase the reserve of neurons it can draw on and also the connections between nerve cells, mitigating the effects of age on brain performance: research by the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Bonn has recently shown that early bilinguals, who learn a second language in the first years of life, they have greater learning and memory skills and better executive functions, but also differences in gray matter in some brain areas. All this seems to be able to protect the brain, maintaining cognitive performance for longer in the elderly: according to estimates, speaking two languages ​​well and daily, even if the second was learned when one was no longer a child, could even slow down by four, five years the onset of dementia symptoms and slow down a possible neurodegenerative disease, because bilinguals seem to be able to better compensate for the loss of neurons.

Cognitive advantages, however, come from speaking other languages ​​well in addition to one’s own, therefore It’s not so much the number that counts, but the mastery achieved: it is therefore better to aim for true bilingualism, achieved through immersion in the other language and nourished with conversations, original films and opportunities to speak it, than a summary smattering of many idioms.

Do bilingual contexts harm children?

Our brain was born to be bi- or multilingual, that is, it is perfectly equipped to master multiple languages: this has been demonstrated by research from New York University, according to which the transition from one language to the other is completely natural and smooth because the brain uses the same mechanisms to combine words from one or two different languages.

Analyzing how the brain processes in people bilingual for Korean and English, the researchers realized that the areas involved are the same when expressions in one language or mixed expressions, which contain words from both, are interpreted: the left anterior temporal lobethe region that plays an important role in combining the meanings of words, is activated in the same way, so even the transition from one idiom to another is natural and immediate.

Fluent speaking ability

A fluidity in our brain’s ability to speak multiple languages ​​which is confirmed by a study recently published on Cortexaccording to which Bilinguals are just as quick as monolinguals at calling the right word to mind.

Those who speak only one language and therefore have no possible interference from other languages ​​use 0.05 seconds to find and say the word he is looking for, but the authors have shown that in bilinguals the times are similar, oscillating between 0.04 and 0.06 seconds: the words of the second language do not confuse the brain: they are activated and recalled automatically, in a dialogue between idioms that always takes place in the temporo-parietal area of ​​the brain.

The advantages

All data that can make parents of children growing up in bilingual contexts breathe a sigh of relief, sometimes worried that exposure to two or more languages ​​could confuse them and slow down their development: it is true that these little ones often speak a little later or prefer one of the two languages ​​and seem to struggle more in the other, but over time they only benefit from it because the brain is equipped to speak multiple languages ​​and in doing so trains itself to function better, so much so that bilingual children from the cradle generally learn to read earlier and learn other languages ​​more easily.

Not only that, studies also suggest that they have more awareness of the other, i.e. that better understand how others may have a different point of viewto the full advantage of their social skills.

Motivation makes learning a lot easier

Everyone agrees, the ideal would be to be early and balanced bilingual, that is, to be so from an early age and have reached the highest level of proficiency in both (or more) languages. The reality is that the majority still learn another language at school or later, in adulthood, so much research is trying to investigate whether the same cognitive advantages are obtained in these cases too.

Certainly As the child grows, the ease of learning decreases and so, for example, as adults it is impossible to learn another language perfectly and without inflections; those who learn the second language at school age can master it like balanced and precocious bilinguals. What makes the difference, however, is always personal involvement, because to really learn a language it is important to listen to it in engaging situations that give you the motivation to use it: books, videos, games and conversations in the language are therefore better than classic classroom study.