Is learning another language worth it? – Part 1
Written by Kamaljit Bajwa
The clock reads 2:15 p.m. You stare at the white board where your teacher writes and speaks in French. As you sit in the stuffy classroom with everyone else, trying hard to pay attention, you wonder why in the world you need to learn a new language when you can speak English perfectly well. The only benefit you can see right now is that it will help you get into the university you’ve been dreaming of. After that, it’s au revoir and you’ll never have to learn another language again. But what if I tell you that while you sat in that small classroom, bored out of your mind, your brain was reaping the benefits of learning a second language?
Research shows that, compared to people who speak only one language (monolinguals), those who speak two languages or more (i.e., bilinguals and multilinguals, respectively) have better executive functioning in areas such as decision making and planning (Zeng et al., 2019). Research also shows academic advantages to speaking a second language (Dewi et al., 2021). Several things help explain bilinguals’ advantages: Peal and Lambert (1962) said that one reason for these advantages is due to increased cognitive flexibility (e.g., switching between certain tasks) (as cited in Ikizer & Ramírez-Esparza, 2018). This flexibility results from bilinguals constantly switching between languages (Ikizer & Ramírez-Esparza, 2018). Regardless of the reason for these advantages, being able to speak more than one language can even help you when you are older. Speaking a second language can protect you against some forms of cognitive aging (Bialystok et al., 2012) (i.e., the changes that occur in mental abilities as one ages, such as poorer memory and decision making [American Psychological Association, n.d.]). Older adults benefit from learning a second language because the cognitive effort seems to reduce the risk of developing and/or succumbing to dementia. For instance, bilinguals on average develop dementia 4 years later than do monolinguals (Bialystok, 2007). Although you may not see the advantages until you’re older, you’ll later thank yourself for learning a second language.
There are over 7,000 languages used worldwide (Ethnologue, 2023). You can find 200 unofficial languages spoken in Canada alone (Statistics Canada, 2017)! So, why am I telling you these things? I’m trying to tell you that you only need to know two out of the thousands of languages that exist to enjoy the many benefits of speaking a second language. Perhaps this blog post is a sign to start paying attention in your French classes or to finally enroll in those German classes you’ve always wanted to take. Auf Wiedersehen!
Stay tuned for Part 2, where we discuss recent research on language exposure and executive function being conducted by some of our Lifespan Cognition Lab members!
If you enjoyed this blog post, check out our other blog posts!
References
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). cognitive aging. APA Dictionary of Psychology. https://dictionary.apa.org/cognitive-aging
Bialystok, E., Craik, F. I. M., & Luk, G. (2012). Bilingualism: Consequences for mind and brain. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 16(4), 240-250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2012.03.001
Bialystok, E., Craik, F. I. M., & 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
Canadian Heritage. (2019, November 26). Statistics on official languages in Canada. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/official-languages-bilingualism/publications/statistics.html. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
Dewi, G. P. R., Nitiasih, P. K., Artini, L. P., Suwastini, N. K. A., & Haryanti, N. D. (2021). Investigating the advantages of bilingualism: Multidimensional research findings. Eternal (English, Teaching, Learning & Research Journal), 7(2), 421- 441.
Ethnologue. (2023). About. Ethnologue. https://www.ethnologue.com/about/. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
Ikizer, E. G., & Ramírez-Esparza, N. (2018). Bilinguals’ social flexibility. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 21(5), 957-969. doi:10.1017/S1366728917000414
Zeng, Z., Kalashnikova, M., & Antoniou, M. (2019). Integrating bilingualism, verbal fluency, and executive functioning across the lifespan. Journal of Cognition and Development, 20(5), 656-679. https://doi.org/10.1080/15248372.2019.1648267
Disclaimer
The blog posts are for informational and educational purposes only. The posts should not be considered as any type of advice (medical, mental health, legal, and/or religious advice). All blog posts have been researched, written, and edited by the undergraduate students and alumni of the Lifespan Cognition Lab. As a teaching and research-based lab, we encourage all lab members to help make knowledge more accessible to all communities through these posts.
