How Does Language Change Your Brain?

Seeker+

11 Aug 201508:35

Summary

TLDRThis episode of 'Test-Tube Plus' explores how learning a new language can physically grow the brain and enhance cognitive function. Studies reveal that bilingual young adults perform better on attention and concentration tests, and learning a second language early can delay the onset of Alzheimer's. The script delves into how language influences thought processes and perception, with examples from various languages. It also discusses the ease of learning languages based on their linguistic relationship to English and the unique challenges posed by tonal languages like Mandarin.

Takeaways

🧠 Learning a new language can physically increase the size of specific brain areas as shown by MRI scans from a study at the Swedish Armed Forces interpreter Academy.
📈 Bilingual young adults perform better on attention and concentration tests compared to those who speak only one language, according to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.
👴 Learning a second language at an early age can slow down brain aging and delay Alzheimer's by over four years, as indicated by a longitudinal study in the annals of Neurology.
🌐 Language processing in the brain is similar to predictive text, where the brain anticipates and forms words based on sequential sounds it receives.
🌍 Language does not determine what you think, but it can influence how you think about things, as suggested by Roman Jakobson, a renowned linguist.
🗣 The gender of words in different languages can affect how people perceive and describe them, as demonstrated by a study involving French and Spanish speakers.
🧭 Indigenous tribes that use cardinal directions instead of left and right tend to have better spatial orientation due to the consistency of their language.
🎨 Speakers of languages with more words for different shades of a color may physically see more colors, as suggested by theories on language and perception.
🏫 English speakers find it easier to learn languages that are Germanic or Latin-based due to shared linguistic roots, but languages like Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Arabic are more challenging due to the lack of common origins.
📚 The Foreign Service Institute categorizes languages based on ease of learning for English speakers, with some languages requiring as little as 600 hours of study and others up to 2200 hours.
🎼 Speakers of tonal languages may have advantages in understanding and playing musical instruments due to their inherent pitch and tone understanding, as shown in a study with Cantonese speakers.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the 'Test-Tube Plus' show?
-The main topic of the 'Test-Tube Plus' show is to break down big topics into smaller, more understandable pieces. In this specific episode, the focus is on how learning a new language can literally make your brain bigger.
How does learning a new language affect the size of the brain according to the Swedish Armed Forces interpreter Academy study?
-The study found that when students were tasked with learning a language at a fast rate, MRI scans showed that specific parts of their brains developed in size, indicating that learning a language can cause the brain to grow.
What cognitive benefits does learning a new language provide, as mentioned in the script?
-Learning a new language significantly improves cognitive function. Young adults proficient in two languages performed better on attention tests and had better concentration compared to those who spoke only one language.
What did the longitudinal study by the American Neurological Association find regarding the effects of learning a second language at an early age?
-The study found that learning a second language at an early age leads to better cognitive function at an older age, slowing down brain aging and delaying Alzheimer's by more than four years.
How does the brain process language when hearing a word?
-The brain processes language by predicting the rest of the word in a sequential order, similar to how Google autocomplete works, by starting to put words together based on the initial sounds it hears.
What is the concept of 'language determining how you think about things' as discussed in the script?
-The concept suggests that while language doesn't determine what you think, it can influence how you think about things. For example, the gender of nouns in different languages can affect how people perceive objects.
How does the gender of a word in different languages influence perception as per the script?
-The gender of a word in different languages can influence perception by ascribing certain characteristics to objects based on their grammatical gender. For instance, the word 'fork' is feminine in French and masculine in Spanish, which can affect how people describe it.
What is the impact of having more words for specific concepts on perception, as mentioned in the script?
-Having more words for specific concepts, like different shades of blue in Russian, can enhance the ability to visually discriminate those concepts. This can also apply to people in professions that require detailed color descriptions, suggesting they may physically see more nuances in color.
According to the Foreign Service Institute, what is the easiest language for an English speaker to learn and why?
-The easiest languages for an English speaker to learn are Afrikaans, Danish, Dutch, and French, which are in category 1. These languages are easier because they are either Germanic or Latin-based, sharing origins with English.
Why are languages like Mandarin, Arabic, Japanese, and Korean considered difficult for English speakers to learn?
-These languages are considered difficult for English speakers because they do not share any origin with English. They also have unique features such as tonal languages, where different pitches can change the meaning of words, which is not a feature of English.
What advantage do tonal language speakers have when learning musical instruments, as suggested by the script?
-Tonal language speakers, such as Cantonese speakers, have a distinct advantage when learning musical instruments due to their inherent pitch and tone understanding, which is similar to that of trained musicians, making it easier for them to grasp musical concepts.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 The Brain-Boosting Power of Language Learning

This paragraph discusses the impact of language learning on brain development. It explains that learning a new language can cause the brain to grow in size, as it forms new connections to accommodate the linguistic information. The Swedish Armed Forces Interpreter Academy's study is highlighted, showing that students' brains physically developed as they rapidly learned a language. In contrast, a control group learning non-linguistic skills did not exhibit such changes. The benefits of bilingualism or multilingualism on cognitive function are also emphasized, with studies indicating improved attention and concentration, as well as a slower rate of cognitive decline with age. The paragraph also touches on how language processing in the brain works, similar to predictive text, and how language might shape culture and thought, rather than determining it.

05:02

🌐 Language and Perception: How Words Shape Our Worldview

The second paragraph delves into how language can influence perception and thought processes. It provides examples of how gendered words in different languages can affect how people conceptualize objects, as demonstrated in a study where participants used voices reflecting the gender of objects in their native languages. The paragraph also explores how the vocabulary available in a language can affect color perception, suggesting that those with more descriptive language for colors may perceive them more vividly. It discusses the ease with which English speakers can learn languages with shared origins, such as Scandinavian or Latin-based languages, versus the difficulty of learning languages with no origin sharing, like Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Arabic. The Foreign Service Institute's language difficulty categories for English speakers are outlined, with Mandarin and Arabic being the most challenging due to their tonal nature and lack of similarity to English. The paragraph concludes by highlighting the cognitive advantages of tonal language speakers in music understanding.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Cognitive Function

Cognitive function refers to the mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses. In the video, it is mentioned that learning a new language significantly improves cognitive function, as bilingual young adults performed better on attention tests and had better concentration than those who spoke only one language. This highlights the video's theme that language learning positively impacts brain development and function.

💡Longitudinal Study

A longitudinal study is a type of research design where data is collected on the same group of subjects over a long period. The video references a landmark study by the American Neurological Association that used this method, scanning children's brains and then re-scanning them decades later. This study found that learning a second language at an early age led to better cognitive function in older age, supporting the video's message on the long-term benefits of language learning.

💡Bilingual

Being bilingual means having the ability to speak two languages fluently. The video emphasizes the cognitive advantages of bilingualism, such as better performance on attention tests and concentration. It also discusses the brain's ability to process and predict words in a sequential order, which is a skill enhanced by being bilingual.

💡Brain Aging

Brain aging refers to the natural cognitive decline that occurs as people grow older. The video script mentions that learning a second language can slow down brain aging and delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease by more than four years, demonstrating the neuroprotective effects of language learning.

💡Language Perception

Language perception is the process of understanding and interpreting the meaning of words and sentences in a language. The video explains how the brain anticipates the rest of a word based on the initial sounds, like Google's autocomplete feature. This concept is central to the video's discussion on how language processing occurs in the brain.

💡Grammatical Gender

Grammatical gender is a linguistic feature where nouns are assigned a gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter) that affects the agreement of associated words. The video uses the example of the word 'fork' being feminine in French and masculine in Spanish to illustrate how language can shape our perception of objects, even though the object itself remains the same.

💡Spatial Orientation

Spatial orientation is the ability to understand and navigate one's position in a spatial context. The video mentions indigenous tribes that use cardinal directions instead of left and right, which may contribute to better spatial orientation. This is relevant to the video's theme of how language can influence cognitive abilities.

💡Tonal Language

A tonal language is one where the pitch contour of a syllable can distinguish the meaning of words. Mandarin Chinese, for example, is a tonal language with different meanings for the same syllable depending on the tone used. The video points out that English speakers, who are not used to tonal languages, find them difficult to learn, but also notes that tonal language speakers have advantages in understanding musical pitch.

💡Foreign Service Institute

The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) is a U.S. government institution that provides training for diplomats and other government employees. The video refers to the FSI's language learning categories, which estimate the time and effort required for an English speaker to learn a new language. This is used in the script to demonstrate the varying difficulty levels of learning different languages.

💡Idea Grams

Idea grams are a concept in linguistics where meaning is conveyed through the combination of smaller units of meaning, rather than through individual words. The video mentions that Mandarin, unlike English, is based on idea grams, which contributes to the complexity of learning the language for English speakers.

💡Roman Jakobson

Roman Jakobson was a renowned linguist known for his work on the structure of language and its functions. The video quotes him to emphasize that languages differ in what they must convey, not in what they may convey, suggesting that language influences the way we think about things rather than determining our thoughts.

Highlights

Learning a new language can cause your brain to grow in size, as it makes more connections.

A study by the Swedish Armed Forces interpreter Academy showed that students' brains developed in size while learning a language rapidly.

Another study found that young adults proficient in two languages performed better on attention and concentration tests compared to those who spoke only one language.

A longitudinal study by the American neurological Association showed that learning a second language at an early age can slow down brain aging and delay Alzheimer's.

Bilingualism and multilingualism can improve cognitive function and brain health in adulthood.

The brain processes language by predicting the rest of a word as it is heard, similar to auto-complete functions.

Bilingual brains consider words from both languages when processing language, requiring more cognitive effort.

Language does not determine what you think, but it can influence how you think about things.

A study showed that gendered words in different languages influenced the pitch of participants' voices when speaking a word.

Indigenous tribes' use of cardinal directions instead of left and right can lead to better spatial orientation.

Russian speakers, with more words for light and dark blue, are better at visually discriminating shades of blue.

Professionals in design, fashion, or color-related fields may physically see more colors due to their language and vocabulary.

English speakers find it easier to learn languages like Scandinavian and Dutch due to their Germanic roots.

The Foreign Service Institute categorizes languages based on ease of learning for English speakers, with categories ranging from 1 to 5.

Tonal languages, such as Mandarin, are difficult for English speakers due to the need to understand and use different tones for meaning.

Tonal language speakers have advantages in understanding and playing musical instruments due to their pitch and tone understanding.

Learning languages is beneficial for brain health and cognitive function, regardless of the number of languages known.