Madison Liu – madisongraceliu@gmail.com

September 7th, 2025

Edited by the YNPS Publications team.

Abstract 

Growing up, children are introduced to a variety of languages, enabling them to become fluent and converse natively in different locations. The process of language involves many brain areas that are capable of enhancing functions that the child will benefit from as they grow up. Notable effects include enhanced social understanding, improved performance on tasks, and the ability to process more information in the environment, among others. As a result, this paper dives deeper into which brain areas are most affected and the different types of benefits children receive when they are exposed to and grow up learning two or more languages at a young age. 

Introduction 

In the brain, there is a language center that is usually located in the left hemisphere. There are different areas in the brain, all linked together, that allow us to hear, comprehend, and speak a language. Therefore, learning two languages at once requires more of these pathways to be activated in order to compensate for the extra material needed to understand. Since the discovery of language, many have attempted to answer the question of whether a child knowing multiple languages makes them grow up to be smarter. Although this may or may not be true, the constant use of cognitive functions builds the brain, which enhances the jobs of other brain regions that carry out the overall behavior. 

Methodology 

This paper uses a qualitative research technique from different universities that conducted experiments on both children and the elderly to demonstrate the long-term effects that knowing more than one language has on the human brain.

Study 1: A study by Concordia University found results of enhanced executive functioning in children who knew a second language. They gathered about 63 monolingual and bilingual children and had them do a series of tasks of the Bayley Test that were dependent on executive functioning. 

Study 2: Another study conducted by the University of Toronto showed the long-term effects of bilingualism through its fight against dementia, in which they pulled a sample of 228 patients and conducted interviews with them and their families about the languages they spoke, as well as gathered information on when they were diagnosed to find a correlation between the two. 

Results 

From the two studies, bilingual children were found to have better executive functioning than monolingual children.  This effect was able to last all the way until their 60s, where they found that those who knew another language suffered from dementia later in life compared to others who did not. 

The studies exemplify the many benefits of being bilingual. All of these things are possible due to the brain being constantly engaged and challenged to understand. Thus, it increases the neuroplasticity, which allows people to adapt to change better or to be able to concentrate more. Additionally, from the Bayley test assessment, they can perform executive functions such as time management because their brain is able to manage the switch of languages and decide when it is appropriate to use them.

Discussion 

These studies show how languages build the brain to be stronger. Usually, people who develop conditions like Alzheimer’s have a brain that is weakened by an infection or head injury. But because of the extensive thinking processes, memory capacity, and ability to switch between languages, it makes it harder for people to develop brain conditions, as it instead strengthens the brain. 

Furthermore, knowing a language makes doing everyday tasks easier. Because of the “enhanced executive functioning” found in studies, necessary tasks such as planning ahead or organization, simple tasks that many people struggle with. 

These two studies were selected because they highlight the effects of language across a lifespan, showing the benefits during childhood all the way to a person’s mid-60s. They represent a new lifestyle and show a world that not everybody understands. 

Conclusion 

All this research suggests that learning more than one language makes a huge impact on our lives. Languages are used every day, and so not only can they be used for practical reasons like communicating with those around you, but they also change the way we think, encounter certain situations, learn, and so on. As a result, people should invest the time to learn a language as a hobby or a passion.

 

References

Á.M. Kovács, & J. Mehler (2009, April 13). Cognitive gains in 7-month-old bilingual infants. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 106(16), 6556-6560, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0811323106.%5Bk%5D

Bialystok, E., Craik, F. I., & Freedman, M. (2007). Bilingualism as a protection against the onset of symptoms of dementia. Neuropsychologia, 45(2), 459–464. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2006.10.009

Marian, V., & Shook, A. (2012, October 31). The cognitive benefits of being bilingual. Cerebrum: The Dana Forum on Brain Science, 2012, 13. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3583091/.

Poulin-Dubois, D., Blaye, A., Coutya, J., and Bialystok, E. (2011). The effects of bilingualism on toddlers’ executive functioning.  Journal of Experimental Child Psychology. 108, 567–579. doi: 10.1016/j.jecp.2010.10.009

Saint Augustine College. (2024, May 30). The Cognitive benefits of being Bilingual | St. Augustine. St. Augustine College. https://www.staugustine.edu/2024/05/30/cognitive-benefits-of-bilingualism/

Wei, Li, and Bencie Woll (2019, February). Cognitive Benefits of Language Learning: Broadening Our Perspectives Final Report to the British Academy. The British Academy.