THE BILINGUAL BRAIN - Does speaking two or more languages make you smarter? | BENEFITS

Summary

The video script explores the concept of bilingualism, highlighting its practical benefits in a globalized world and the psychological and social advantages it offers. It distinguishes between compound bilingualism, where two languages are learned simultaneously, and coordinate bilingualism, where languages are learned separately in different contexts. The script also touches on the cognitive benefits of bilingualism, such as delayed onset of age-related mental issues and enhanced brain connectivity, encouraging viewers to embrace language learning regardless of their background.

Takeaways

• 🌐 Bilingualism is perceived differently, with some considering fluency and others perfect pronunciation as the key criteria.
• 🌍 Speaking multiple languages offers practical benefits in a globalized world, including ease in travel, job opportunities, and business.
• 👶 Compound bilingualism, also known as additive bilingualism, occurs when a child is raised in two languages simultaneously, often leading to code-switching.
• 📚 Coordinate bilingualism, or subtractive bilingualism, is when a person learns and uses two languages separately in different contexts, as the speaker exemplifies with Russian and Portuguese.
• 🏠 Home environment plays a crucial role in language learning, influencing which language is associated with personal and familial contexts.
• 🗺️ Monolingual countries like the US, England, and Australia still have a significant multilingual population, reflecting the global trend towards multilingualism.
• 🧠 Bilingualism may delay the onset of age-related cognitive decline such as dementia and Alzheimer's by up to 4 years.
• 📉 Bilingual adults have denser gray matter in the brain compared to monolingual adults, suggesting a neural advantage.
• 💡 While bilingualism doesn't make one more intelligent, it does enhance cognitive skills and brain connectivity.
• 🚀 Learning a new language at any age is beneficial, acting as a mental workout to improve overall cognitive function.

Q & A

What are the differing opinions on what constitutes bilingualism?

Opinions vary; some believe bilingualism means speaking two languages fluently with ease, while others require perfect pronunciation and minimal grammatical errors for a person to be considered bilingual.

What are the practical benefits of being able to speak two or more languages in a globalized world?

Multilingualism offers advantages such as watching movies without subtitles, having fewer issues while traveling, and increasing job or business opportunities, especially in tourist areas.

What are the two types of bilingualism mentioned in the script?

The two types are compound bilingualism (also known as additive bilingualism) and coordinate bilingualism (also known as subtractive bilingualism).

How does compound bilingualism typically occur?

Compound bilingualism happens when a child is raised by bilingual parents who use both languages at home, allowing the child to learn and grow into both languages simultaneously in the same environment.

What is the characteristic of language use in compound bilingualism?

In compound bilingualism, people often do not see the two languages as separate and may use words from different languages in the same sentence to express themselves better.

How does coordinate bilingualism differ from compound bilingualism?

Coordinate bilingualism involves perceiving the two languages as separate, as the person learns them in different environments and contexts.

Can you give an example of coordinate bilingualism from the script?

The speaker is an example of coordinate bilingualism, studying in Russian and using it mainly in the college environment, while using Portuguese with friends and family.

What is the significance of the term 'gray matter' in the context of bilingualism?

Gray matter is a type of brain tissue that is denser in bilingual adults compared to monolingual adults, suggesting that bilingualism may contribute to a healthier brain.

How does bilingualism potentially impact age-related mental issues?

Bilingualism can slow the advance of age-related mental issues such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease by up to 4 years.

Does speaking more than one language necessarily make a person more intelligent?

While speaking multiple languages does not necessarily make a person more intelligent, it does stimulate and increase brain connections, improving cognitive skills.

Is it ever too late to start learning a new language, according to the script?

No, it is never too late to start learning a new language, even if one grew up in a monolingual environment.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 The Essence of Bilingualism

This paragraph explores the varying perceptions of bilingualism, from effortless fluency in two languages to the ability to speak with perfect pronunciation and minimal grammatical errors. It highlights the practical advantages of multilingualism in a globalized world, including psychological and social benefits such as ease of watching movies without subtitles, traveling, and job opportunities. The speaker introduces two types of bilingualism: compound (additive) and coordinate (subtractive), explaining how they manifest in different linguistic environments and personal experiences.

Keywords

💡Bilingualism

Bilingualism refers to the ability to speak two languages fluently and with relative ease. In the context of the video, it is a central theme that discusses the various definitions and benefits of being bilingual. The script mentions that some consider bilingualism to be the effortless use of two languages, while others emphasize perfect pronunciation and grammar. Bilingualism is also linked to practical benefits in a globalized world, such as ease of travel and job opportunities.

💡Multilingualism

Multilingualism is the capacity to use multiple languages, which is an extension of bilingualism. The video highlights the advantages of multilingualism, such as being able to watch movies without subtitles and having fewer issues when traveling. It positions multilingualism as a valuable skill in today's interconnected world, offering both psychological and social benefits.

💡Compound Bilingualism

Also known as additive bilingualism, this term describes a situation where a person is raised with two languages simultaneously, often by bilingual parents. In the script, it is exemplified by a child learning two languages in the same environment without perceiving them as separate, which leads to a natural integration of vocabulary from both languages in their speech.

💡Coordinate Bilingualism

Coordinate bilingualism, or subtractive bilingualism, is a type of bilingualism where a person learns and uses two languages separately, in different contexts. The script provides a personal example of this, where the speaker learns and uses Russian in a specific academic environment and Portuguese in their home environment, treating each language as distinct.

💡Accent

An accent refers to the particular way of pronunciation associated with a certain region or country. The video script notes that having a 'bad accent' does not negate the benefits of bilingualism, emphasizing that proficiency in languages is not solely measured by accent perfection.

💡Grammatical Errors

Grammatical errors are mistakes in the structure or usage of language. The script suggests that even if a bilingual person makes grammatical mistakes, it does not preclude them from being considered bilingual, as the ability to communicate effectively in two languages is more significant.

💡Globalized World

A globalized world refers to a state where economic, political, and cultural exchanges are increasingly interconnected on a global scale. The video emphasizes that in such a world, the ability to speak multiple languages offers significant practical advantages, including in job markets and business opportunities.

💡Cognitive Skills

Cognitive skills are the mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge and understanding, such as perception, memory, thinking, and problem solving. The script mentions that learning a new language is like exercising the brain, which can improve cognitive skills, suggesting a direct link between bilingualism and enhanced cognitive function.

💡Gray Matter

Gray matter is a part of the brain composed of nerve cell bodies and is associated with processing information. The video script suggests that bilingual adults have denser gray matter compared to monolingual adults, which may contribute to the potential cognitive benefits of bilingualism.

💡Dementia

Dementia is a general term for a decline in cognitive ability severe enough to interfere with daily life. The script cites research suggesting that bilingualism can slow the onset of age-related mental issues such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease, potentially delaying their effects by up to four years.

💡Intelligence

Intelligence is the ability to learn from experience, adapt to new situations, understand, and use knowledge. The video clarifies that while speaking multiple languages does not necessarily make a person more intelligent, it does stimulate the brain and can enhance cognitive abilities.

Highlights

Bilingualism is a topic with varying opinions on its definition.

Some define bilingualism as fluently speaking two languages with ease.

Others consider perfect pronunciation and minimal grammatical errors as criteria for bilingualism.

The practical benefits of bilingualism in a globalized world are emphasized.

Multilingualism offers psychological and social advantages.

Examples of advantages include watching movies without subtitles and easier travel.

Bilingualism can also enhance job and business opportunities, especially in tourist areas.

Two types of bilingualism are identified: compound and coordinate.

Compound bilingualism, or additive bilingualism, occurs when a child is raised with two languages at home.

In compound bilingualism, languages are not seen as separate and code-switching is common.

Coordinate bilingualism, or subtractive bilingualism, involves learning and using languages separately.

The speaker provides a personal example of coordinate bilingualism with Russian and Portuguese.

Only a few countries, like the US, England, and Australia, are officially monolingual.

However, even in these countries, a significant number of people are multilingual.

Bilingualism may delay age-related mental issues such as dementia and Alzheimer's by up to 4 years.

Bilingual adults have denser gray matter in the brain compared to monolingual adults.

Speaking multiple languages does not necessarily make one more intelligent but does stimulate brain connections.

Learning a new language is beneficial for cognitive skills at any age.

Transcripts

[Music]

the bilingual

brain people have very different

opinions on what bilingualism really is

for some it means speaking two languages

fluently and with little to no effort

others only consider a person bilingual

if he has perfect pronunciation in both

languages and makes very few grammatical

errors while talking the truth is that

even with a bad accent and making some

mistakes being able to speak in two or

more languages rather than only one has

practical benefits in an increasingly

globalized world multilingualism has

been shown to have many psychological

and social advantages that can go from

something simple as watching movies with

no subtitles to having less problems

traveling and even getting a job or a

business opportunity especially in

tourist

areas it is considered to be two types

of

bilingualism compound biling ISM also

called additive bilingualism happens for

example when a child is raised by

bilingual parents in both languages I

used in home the child grows learning

into two languages simultaneously in the

same

environment with this type of

bilingualism the person does not see the

two languages as separate and it is

common to hear such people using words

of different languages in the same

sentence or using a word of a different

language from the one they talking to

better Express themselves

the second type is coordinate

bilingualism also called subtractive

bilingualism in this type the person

perceives the two languages as separate

because he learns them separately and in

different environments and

contexts I am a living example of

coordinate bilingualism I'm currently

studying in Russian and most of the

times I only talk Russian in the college

environment and with people who only

talk that language I use the language

specifically for those contexts but to

friends and family I usually talk in

Portuguese which is my native language

the language related to my home

environment I see these two languages as

separate since I learned and use them in

completely different

environments only a few countries in the

world including the US England and

Australia are officially monolingual but

even in these countries there's a

considerable percentage of people who

speak and understand more than one

language researchers suggest that

bilingualism can slow the advance of age

related mental issues such as dementia

and Alzheimer by up to 4 years and that

in bilingual adults a brain tissue

called gray matter is dencer compared

with monolingual adults although

speaking more than one language does not

necessarily make you a more intelligent

person it helps stimulate and increase

brain connections learning a new

language is like an exercise to the

brain that will improve your cognitive

skills and even if you grew up in a

monolingual environment it is never too

late to start learning a different

language

[Music]