By Mia Nacamulli

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

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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.

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Beyond easier travel or watching movies without subtitles, knowing two or more languages can actually shape how your brain looks and works.

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What Does It Mean to “Know” a Language?

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Language ability is typically measured in four parts:

• Speaking (active)
• Writing (active)
• Listening (passive)
• Reading (passive)

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A balanced bilingual has near-equal abilities across all four areas, but most bilinguals use their languages in different proportions depending on context and need.

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Depending on how and when someone learns their languages, they may fall into one of three broad categories:

• Compound bilinguals — learn two linguistic codes simultaneously with one shared set of concepts.
  Example: Gabriella, who immigrates from Peru to the U.S. at age two, learns English and Spanish together as she discovers the world.
• Coordinate bilinguals — learn two languages in different environments with separate sets of concepts.
  Example: Gabriella’s teenage brother learns English at school while speaking Spanish at home.
• Subordinate bilinguals - learn a second language by filtering it through their first.All three types can become fully proficient, regardless of accent or pronunciation.

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What Happens in the Bilingual Brain?

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Advances in brain imaging show that bilingualism affects the brain in fascinating ways.

• The left hemisphere is more analytical and logical.
• The right hemisphere is more emotional and social
• Children use both hemispheres more flexibly when learning languages, supporting the critical period hypothesis.

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This suggests that learning a language in childhood may give a more holistic grasp of its social and emotional context. Adults, however, often show less emotional bias and a more rational approach when using a second language.

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Cognitive Benefits of Bilingualism

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Being multilingual can lead to:

• Higher grey matter density (more neurons and synapses)
• More brain activity in regions used for switching languages
• Strengthening of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which supports:
  
  • Executive function
  • Problem-solving
  • Task switching
  • Filtering irrelevant information
• Delayed onset of Alzheimer's and dementia
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  Interestingly, before the 1960s, bilingualism was wrongly considered a developmental disadvantage—an idea now disproven by up to five years.

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Lifelong Learning

Even if you didn’t learn a second language as a child, it’s never too late. Moving from “Hello” to “Hola,” “Bonjour,” or “你好” gives your brain a workout that can have lifelong benefits

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Click Here for the video

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