Is being bilingual good for you brain? | BBC Ideas

What does bilingualism do to the brain? Are there benefits to speaking more than one language?

Video from @bbcideas

#Bilingualism #BBCIdeas #BBCNews

[Worldtour]

Speaking many languages can bring beauty in one’s life.

[misopaw]

I learnt to speak english and suddenly I heard and understood people from around the globe. So I am not limited to certain group of people but everyone who can speak english. Amazing

[GordonPavilion]

Learn a language, play a musical instrument, learn a new physical skill.

[xochilguevara]

I used to be more emotional in my first language and more rational in my second language. But the longer I speak it and am immersed in it, the more emotional I’ve become.

[rboddington]

I started German at 55. Best life decision I ever made.

[DrMurzal]

It's not only good but it makes you more creative.

[kyleaustin]

I know many languages; python, javascript, html, css (totally a language), C, and java!

[onlineonlineaccount]

I have met African people who are multi-lingual they speak like 4 languages at a very young age and very fluent aswell. So bi-lingual is not even a limit any more.

[m_t]

I'm quatrelingual and what I've noticed about myself is whichever language my brain switches onto, my mannerisms and gestures change accordingly 😅 Speaking several languages certainly do open the world's doors to you, but at times you sort of communicate with all of them at once, applying the most suitable phrase or word in the context, which could be a bit confusing for non-speakers 😂

[mustafabaris]

I was born and raised in Turkey so I spoke Turkish only growing up. At age 18 I moved to the USA and learnt English, at age 27 I moved to China and learnt Chinese. Now, at age 46, I am learning Spanish and plan on moving to Argentina to improve my Spanish .. I am not sure if speaking different languages is good for my brain or that it has made me smarter, but I can say with utmost certainty that it has enriched my life beyond my wildest expectations ..

[ddplaying]

It is a funny thing after learning another language, now i can speak to my self in my first language and answer in the second. Don t feel lonely anymore.

[bargerkenneth]

Very encouraging. This is one of many reasons I started learning foreign languages as a young adult. It has enriched my life in more ways than I could say in a book, let alone a comment on a video.

[olive]

Used to take knowing Spanish for granted because I always spoke it with my parents. Now that I’m a bit older. I feel lucky that I know Spanish with ease without learning all correct grammatical rules. I can switch between English and Spanish. What discourages me from learning other languages is learning the correct form of grammar. Plus it has to be taught in a good engaging manner for me at least.

[EcomCarl]

Learning new languages not only enhances brain function but also enriches our understanding of the world, opening doors to diverse cultural experiences and perspectives. 🌍

[nawar]

I love learning languages!! My dream is to speak six languages. Now I speak Arabic as a mother tongue, German, a little English and I am learning Spanish.

[alejandroestevez]

What kind of person could have thought that being bilingual was a bad thing?

[titteryenot]

*your 👈 Attention headline writer! As one of those rare Brits who speaks more than English (+French, Spanish, Italian and German - in that order) bilingualism/multilingualism certainly helps keep the brain flexible and supple and in good nick. What always astonishes me about the culture we have created is that we place so much emphasis on exercising the physical body, but we neglect _the_ key part of that physical body (along with the heart): the brain! So many keep their abs trim but they let their brain go flabby. Learning another language(s) is easily one of the best ways of giving your brain regular and sustained work-outs.

[Wizreader]

It’s so sad that people really believed bilingualism was an ‘issue’. I hope the world knows that bilingualism is the future.

[fratcnarl]

Learning a new language not only provides individuals to be creative but also to see the world in different ways. Understanding the new cultures and seeing new poeple might be the best thing in life.

[IanG]

As someone who can speak English, Tagalog, Mandarin, Hookien and now learning Japanese, I can attest learning languages can help stimulate your brain.