Want a Bigger Brain? Learn a New Language

In 2022, just 1 in 5 Americans reported they speak another language fluently. This figure pales in comparison to Europe, where more than half of residents are bilingual, granting them greater freedom in employment, enhanced travel opportunities & creating cultural connections.

A host of benefits arise from learning a language, from improved communication skills, higher concentration levels, better academic performance & creativity, but research indicates that sequential bilinguals –those who learn a second language later in life– may benefit the most.

A Swedish MRI study followed a group of army recruits for 13 months as they learned a new language. Scientists were surprised to find different parts of the brain grew in size & density throughout the experiment, corresponding with how advanced the learner was.

Subjects with advanced language skills who learned swiftly showed greater growth in the hippocampus. In those who learned at a slower pace, growth was observed in the motor region of the cerebral cortex. Thus, brain development & its location varies according to performance.

Are bigger brains smarter brains? Science says yes, albeit marginally so. People with larger brains measured slightly higher on intelligence tests and tend to perform slightly better in educational attainment but not by much. Exercising the muscle is more important.

Language learning may prolong the brains inevitable aging. In one study, participants who undertook a new language delayed the onset of dementia by up to 4.5 years. Language learning is just one form of cognitive stimulation proven to thwart dementia.    

To the adult brain, acquiring a new language is a complex skill. It requires remembering new words (known as lexicon); learning sound systems (phonology); developing writing skills (orthography); grammar (syntax) & the subtle expressions associated with regional dialects.

However, sequential learners have usually already mastered their native language. They understand sentence structure and can interpret grammar rules & norms, a significant advantage when connecting words and phrases, recognizing patterns, & anticipating responses.      

So, if you are still struggling to speak Spanish, to master Mandarin or converse with your cousin in Croatia, don’t be disheartened.

Practicing a different language, whatever level you are at, is just as beneficial to your brain as speaking that language fluently.

When you're looking for a new pastime, why not fire up those neurons, exercise your grey matter, and stave off aging while reaping the many benefits of bilingualism.

Including a bigger brain.