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As we grow older, the communication networks connecting the brain’s nerve cells can begin to break down, slowing memory and thinking. A new study suggests that speaking many languages may help protect these networks. The more languages people spoke, the younger their brains appeared.
Speaking several languages is associated to a brain that appears years younger, with some people showing a difference of up to 13 years. The results support growing evidence that lifelong multilingualism may strengthen cognitive reserve and help protect the brain from age-related decline.
The analysis involved 728 participants who spoke several languages. Researchers measured the tiny magnetic fields generated by active brain cells using artificial intelligence to assess the results. This allowed them to develop a “brain aging clock” that estimates how brain activity typically changes with age.
Brain age appeared to decrease as the number of languages spoken increased. Compared with people who spoke only one language, speaking two languages showed a brain that appeared about 6 years younger. The difference grew to around 7 years among three-language speakers and reached roughly 13 years among those who spoke four languages.
The findings suggest that it is not just how many languages a person knows that matters. People with stronger language skills and those who learned another language earlier in life showed signs of more delayed brain aging. In other words, the potential benefits of multilingualism may build over time and depend on how deeply and how long someone engages with another language.
Learning another language may offer benefits that go well beyond communication. While learning a new language can be challenging, the potential social, cultural and brain-health benefits make it a worthwhile pursuit at any stage of life.
To view the original scientific study click below:
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