The benefits of a bilingual brain - Mia Nacamulli

Summary

This script explores the cognitive benefits of bilingualism, explaining how knowing multiple languages can impact brain function. It outlines the types of bilinguals and the critical period hypothesis, suggesting that childhood language learning involves both brain hemispheres, while adults may show less emotional bias in second languages. Bilingualism is associated with advantages such as increased grey matter density and delayed onset of neurodegenerative diseases. The script dispels past misconceptions about bilingualism and highlights its positive effects on brain health and cognitive function.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Bilingualism and multilingualism are common, with many people speaking more than one language.
• 🗣️ Language ability is measured in four aspects: speaking, writing, listening, and reading.
• 👶 Bilinguals can be classified into three types: compound, coordinate, and subordinate, based on how they acquired their languages.
• 👧 Gabriella, as a compound bilingual, learns two languages simultaneously with a single set of concepts.
• 👦 Her teenage brother might be a coordinate bilingual, learning English in school while speaking Spanish at home.
• 👨 Gabriella's parents are likely subordinate bilinguals, learning a secondary language through their primary language.
• 🧠 The brain's left hemisphere is more analytical, while the right is more emotional and social.
• 👶🧠 The critical period hypothesis suggests that children's brains are more plastic, allowing for easier language learning.
• 🧐 Adult language learners may show less emotional bias and a more rational approach in their second language.
• 🏋️ Multilingualism offers cognitive benefits, such as increased grey matter density and activity in certain brain regions.
• 🧠 Bilingualism can delay the onset of diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia by up to five years.
• 🔄 Bilinguals may have slower reaction times and more errors in cross-language tests, but this also strengthens executive functions.

Q & A

What are the benefits of being bilingual or multilingual according to the script?

Being bilingual or multilingual can make it easier to travel, watch movies without subtitles, and it may also affect the way your brain looks and works, making it more efficient and possibly delaying the onset of certain diseases.

How is language ability typically measured?

Language ability is typically measured in four parts: speaking, writing, listening, and reading.

What are the three general types of bilinguals mentioned in the script?

The three general types of bilinguals are compound bilinguals, coordinate bilinguals, and subordinate bilinguals.

Can you explain what a compound bilingual is in the context of the script?

A compound bilingual, like Gabriella in the script, develops two linguistic codes simultaneously with a single set of concepts, learning both languages as they begin to process the world around them.

How does a coordinate bilingual differ from a compound bilingual?

A coordinate bilingual works with two sets of concepts, learning one language in school and continuing to speak another language at home and with friends, unlike a compound bilingual who learns both languages simultaneously.

What is the difference between a subordinate bilingual and the other two types of bilinguals?

A subordinate bilingual learns a secondary language by filtering it through their primary language, unlike compound and coordinate bilinguals who learn languages in different contexts and at different times.

What does the script suggest about the brain's left and right hemispheres in relation to language processing?

The script suggests that the left hemisphere is more dominant and analytical in logical processes, while the right hemisphere is more active in emotional and social functions, and both are involved in language processing.

What is the critical period hypothesis mentioned in the script?

The critical period hypothesis is a theory that suggests children learn languages more easily because their developing brains' plasticity allows them to use both hemispheres in language acquisition, while in adults, language is usually lateralized to one hemisphere.

How does learning a second language in adulthood differ from learning in childhood according to the script?

Adults who learn a second language may exhibit less emotional bias and a more rational approach when dealing with problems in the second language compared to their native language.

What cognitive benefits does being multilingual offer, as mentioned in the script?

Being multilingual can offer benefits such as higher density of grey matter, more activity in certain brain regions when using a second language, and a potential delay in the onset of diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia.

What was the historical view on bilingualism before the 1960s, and how has it changed?

Before the 1960s, bilingualism was considered a handicap that slowed a child's development by forcing them to distinguish between languages. However, modern research has shown that bilingualism offers cognitive benefits and strengthens certain areas of the brain.

How does the script describe the impact of bilingualism on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex?

The script describes that the effort and attention needed to switch between languages can trigger more activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which plays a large role in executive function, problem-solving, and task-switching.

Outlines

00:00

🌏 The Benefits of Bilingualism and Multilingualism

This paragraph introduces the global prevalence of bilingualism and multilingualism, highlighting the cognitive advantages that come with speaking multiple languages. It explains the concept of language proficiency, including active and passive language skills, and outlines the three general types of bilinguals: compound, coordinate, and subordinate bilinguals. The paragraph also touches on the critical period hypothesis, which suggests that children learn languages more easily due to the brain's plasticity, and contrasts this with the benefits of learning a second language in adulthood, such as reduced emotional bias and a more rational problem-solving approach.

Keywords

💡Bilingual

The term 'bilingual' refers to a person who is able to use two languages fluently. In the video's context, it is central to the discussion of cognitive benefits and brain differences associated with knowing more than one language. The script mentions that being bilingual can affect the brain's structure and function, as well as offer advantages such as easier travel and movie-watching without subtitles.

💡Language Ability

Language ability is the capacity to use a language effectively, typically measured in terms of speaking, writing, listening, and reading. The video script uses this concept to explain the different levels of proficiency and the balanced abilities of a bilingual in two languages, emphasizing the importance of these skills in the cognitive development and daily life of multilingual individuals.

💡Compound Bilingual

A compound bilingual is someone who develops two linguistic codes simultaneously, learning both languages as a single set of concepts. The script uses Gabriella's example to illustrate this type of bilingualism, where she learns English and Spanish at the same time as she begins to understand the world, highlighting the early stage of language acquisition.

💡Coordinate Bilingual

Coordinate bilingualism is characterized by the use of two sets of concepts, where a person learns a second language while maintaining the first. The script describes Gabriella's teenage brother as a coordinate bilingual, learning English at school and Spanish at home, showing how bilinguals can function in different language environments.

💡Subordinate Bilingual

Subordinate bilinguals are individuals who learn a secondary language by filtering it through their primary language. The script suggests that Gabriella's parents are likely subordinate bilinguals, learning English as a second language through their primary language, Spanish, which indicates a later stage of language learning and a different cognitive process.

💡Brain Hemispheres

The brain hemispheres refer to the left and right halves of the brain, with each having distinct functions. The video script explains that the left hemisphere is more analytical and dominant in logical processes, while the right hemisphere is more involved in emotional and social functions. This distinction is important for understanding how bilingualism can affect brain lateralization and language processing.

💡Critical Period Hypothesis

The critical period hypothesis is a theory suggesting that children learn languages more easily due to the plasticity of their developing brains. The script mentions this hypothesis to explain why childhood language learning may involve both brain hemispheres, as opposed to the lateralization to one hemisphere that occurs in most adults.

💡Grey Matter

Grey matter is the part of the brain composed of neuron cell bodies, dendrites, and unmyelinated axons. The video script points out that being multilingual can increase the density of grey matter, which is related to the brain's cognitive functions and is one of the visible advantages of bilingualism.

💡Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex

The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is a region of the brain involved in executive functions such as problem-solving, task-switching, and focusing while filtering out irrelevant information. The script explains that bilinguals may strengthen this area of the brain due to the effort required to switch between languages, which contributes to cognitive benefits.

💡Cognitive Benefits

Cognitive benefits refer to the positive effects on mental processes and abilities. The video script discusses how bilingualism can provide cognitive advantages such as a healthier, more complex brain, and a delay in the onset of diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia, emphasizing the long-term impact of multilingualism on brain health.

💡Lateralization

Lateralization is the tendency for a function to be preferentially performed by one side of the brain. The script uses this term to describe how language processing is typically concentrated in one hemisphere in adults, usually the left, and how this differs from the more holistic approach to language learning in children, as per the critical period hypothesis.

Highlights

Bilingual and multilingual individuals make up the majority of the world's population.

Knowing multiple languages can change the structure and function of the brain compared to monolinguals.

Language ability is measured in active (speaking, writing) and passive (listening, reading) skills.

Bilinguals often have varying proficiency in their languages depending on how they acquired them.

Gabriella's case illustrates the development of a compound bilingual, learning two languages simultaneously.

Coordinate bilinguals, like Gabriella's brother, learn a second language in a different context from their first.

Subordinate bilinguals, such as Gabriella's parents, learn a second language through their primary language.

Bilinguals can be fully proficient in a language regardless of accent or pronunciation.

Neurolinguists use brain imaging technology to study the effects of language learning on the brain.

The brain's left hemisphere is more analytical, while the right is more involved in emotional and social functions.

The critical period hypothesis suggests children learn languages more easily due to brain plasticity.

Adult language learners may show less emotional bias and a more rational approach in their second language.

Multilingualism provides cognitive advantages, such as increased grey matter density.

Being bilingual can delay the onset of diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia.

Bilingualism was once considered a handicap, but research has since proven its cognitive benefits.

Bilingual students may have slower reaction times and more errors in cross-language tests.

The effort to switch between languages can strengthen the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, important for executive function.

Bilingualism contributes to a healthier, more complex, and actively engaged brain.

It's never too late to learn a second language and benefit the brain.

Transcripts

¿Hablas español? Parlez-vous français? 你会说中文吗？

If you answered, "sí," "oui," or "会" and you're watching this in English,

chances are you belong to the world's bilingual and multilingual majority.

And besides having an easier time traveling

or watching movies without subtitles,

knowing two or more languages means that your brain

may actually look and work differently than those of your monolingual friends.

So what does it really mean to know a language?

Language ability is typically measured in two active parts, speaking and writing,

and two passive parts, listening and reading.

While a balanced bilingual has near equal

abilities across the board in two languages,

most bilinguals around the world know and use their languages

in varying proportions.

And depending on their situation and how they acquired each language,

they can be classified into three general types.

For example, let's take Gabriella,

whose family immigrates to the US from Peru when she's two-years old.

As a compound bilingual,

Gabriella develops two linguistic codes simultaneously,

with a single set of concepts,

learning both English and Spanish

as she begins to process the world around her.

Her teenage brother, on the other hand, might be a coordinate bilingual,

working with two sets of concepts,

learning English in school,

while continuing to speak Spanish at home and with friends.

Finally, Gabriella's parents are likely to be subordinate bilinguals

who learn a secondary language

by filtering it through their primary language.

Because all types of bilingual people can become fully proficient in a language

regardless of accent or pronunciation,

the difference may not be apparent to a casual observer.

But recent advances in brain imaging technology

have given neurolinguists a glimpse

into how specific aspects of language learning affect the bilingual brain.

It's well known that the brain's left hemisphere is more dominant

and analytical in logical processes,

while the right hemisphere is more active in emotional and social ones,

though this is a matter of degree, not an absolute split.

The fact that language involves both types of functions

while lateralization develops gradually with age,

has lead to the critical period hypothesis.

According to this theory,

children learn languages more easily

because the plasticity of their developing brains

lets them use both hemispheres in language acquisition,

while in most adults, language is lateralized to one hemisphere,

usually the left.

If this is true, learning a language in childhood

may give you a more holistic grasp of its social and emotional contexts.

Conversely, recent research showed

that people who learned a second language in adulthood

exhibit less emotional bias and a more rational approach

when confronting problems in the second language

than in their native one.

But regardless of when you acquire additional languages,

being multilingual gives your brain some remarkable advantages.

Some of these are even visible,

such as higher density of the grey matter

that contains most of your brain's neurons and synapses,

and more activity in certain regions when engaging a second language.

The heightened workout a bilingual brain receives throughout its life

can also help delay the onset of diseases, like Alzheimer's and dementia

by as much as five years.

The idea of major cognitive benefits to bilingualism

may seem intuitive now,

but it would have surprised earlier experts.

Before the 1960s, bilingualism was considered a handicap

that slowed a child's development

by forcing them to spend too much energy distinguishing between languages,

a view based largely on flawed studies.

And while a more recent study did show

that reaction times and errors increase for some bilingual students

in cross-language tests,

it also showed that the effort and attention needed

to switch between languages triggered more activity in,

and potentially strengthened, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

This is the part of the brain that plays a large role

in executive function, problem solving, switching between tasks,

and focusing while filtering out irrelevant information.

So, while bilingualism may not necessarily make you smarter,

it does make your brain more healthy, complex and actively engaged,

and even if you didn't have the good fortune

of learning a second language as a child,

it's never too late to do yourself a favor

and make the linguistic leap from, "Hello,"

to, "Hola," "Bonjour" or "你好’s"

because when it comes to our brains a little exercise can go a long way.