5 Brain Benefits Of Being Bilingual
In our increasingly global society, having the ability to speak two or more languages is a skill that can open doors both professional and personal. But beyond those benefits, being bilingual has other perks, particularly in the brain.
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Higher Gray Matter Volume
Gray matter is where most of the brain’s neuron cell bodies are located and plays a huge part in muscle control and sensory perception. It’s where we process information, taking stimuli from the nerve cells in our body, and translating them into a response. This makes grey matter vital in learning, memory, attention, and decision-making.
Language involves multiple areas of the brain, however, because the neural mechanisms of speech are located in the left hemisphere, researchers noted that bilingual speakers have a higher volume of gray matter on this side than monolingual speakers. This indicates that not only do bilingual speakers process information faster, but the other areas involved with language such as learning, focus, and memory are stronger as well.
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Improved cognitive skills
Speaking two different languages forces the brain to operate in higher levels of executive function almost nonstop. Because they have to process vocabulary, listen and interpret in two languages, and be aware of various linguistic idiosyncrasies specific to each language, their cognitive processes specific to attention and inhibition are highly attuned and constantly working.
Bilingual speakers are constantly filtering between multiple languages while speaking and listening, keeping their brains far more active than monolingual speakers. This makes them fast learners but it also creates fast decision-making skills, as they are able to filter relevant information quickly and efficiently.
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Protects against old age cognitive decline
In addition to the brain’s cognitive function being continuously engaged in bilingual speakers is that this activity maintains the cognitive reserve. This is the brain’s capacity to efficiently utilize the brain’s network to create stronger neural connectivity which protects the brain from the typical cognitive decline of aging.
As we mentioned before, bilingual speakers tend to stay in higher operating executive functionality while awake. This constant processing keeps the neural pathways for learning, memory, and decision-making stronger than in monolingual speakers. And these processes remain stronger as they age, providing significant cognitive benefits to elderly bilingual speakers.
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Boosts brain health in old age
Beyond maintaining the brain’s cognitive reserve in old age, bilingualism has also been shown to help delay the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Studies carried out on patients with Alzheimer’s shows that bilingual patients of Alzheimer’s show initial symptoms about five years later than their monolingual counterparts.
In addition to staving off neurodegenerative disorders, bilingualism offers protection after brain injuries. Studies reveal that bilingual patients who suffer from stroke and other cerebral damages are twice as likely to recover brain function to an optimal level faster than monolinguals.
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Allows for greater focus and the ability to multitask
Processing two different languages means the brain is constantly interpreting information multiple times and then filtering to produce the right results for the situation. This process is known as inhibitory control, where our brain focuses on extracting the right piece of information and then switching to the most accurate understanding of that information in short durations of time.
Every time bilingual speakers engage in a task, they’re able to apply this skill. By honing in on one specific piece of information while ignoring competing information in language, they have trained their brain to be able to multitask in other areas as well. This also means bilingual speakers have higher levels of focus as they can easily filter out any distractions while concentrating on a task.
Conclusion
In terms of interaction and potential with society, being able to speak more than one language has multiple societal benefits. But as research continues, being bilingual or even multilingual is one of the best ways we can take care of our brain and maintain optimum brain health.
