How Bilingualism Can Affect Your Brain
Speaking multiple languages may be an advantage in more ways than one: a new study suggests that bilinguals are speedier task-switchers than monolinguals.
Task-switching and its real-world applications
Task-switching—the ability to mentally “switch gears” and refocus on new goals—is a valuable skill that has numerous practical uses. You use it to shift attention from the wheel to the road while driving, or to switch gears between offense and defense in a team sport. Bilingualism has already been associated with a number of cognitive advantages, and now a 2010 study from Language and Cognition has investigated how bilingualism might enhance crucial task-switching skills in young adults.
This Carnegie Mellon University study recruited 88 college students, half of whom were monolingual and half of whom were bilingual. Both groups had about equal SAT scores, suggesting no inherent difference in cognitive ability.
Each participant sat in front of a screen with two different kinds of tasks assigned to each of their two hands. As cues appeared onscreen, one hand was responsible for identifying the color of the cue. The other hand was responsible for identifying the shape of the cue.
There were two aspects to this task-switching experiment: single-task trials and mixed-task trials. In single-task trials, participants identified either color or shape but never switched between the two tasks. In mixed-trial tasks, participants frequently switched between color and shape identification tasks—a more difficult procedure.
Researchers compared single-task and mixed-task reaction times to determine how reaction time and accuracy differed between groups and trial types.
Bilinguals were much faster than monolinguals on trials that required task-switching—their reactions were 6 milliseconds quicker on average. Both groups, however, were equally quick to respond on single-task trials, which did not involve switching.
Task-switching and executive control
This 2010 study contributes to a growing body of evidence suggesting thatbilinguals enjoy enhanced executive control compared to monolinguals. Executive control refers to a combination of cognitive abilities—including task-switching—that help you make decisions, control impulses, and plan thoughtfully. It’s long been thought that constant management and monitoring of two languages improves executive control—a belief that this Carnegie Mellon study supports.
What do you think about this?
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It is a interesting article because I think that the brain is one of the most powerful engine in the world, but very few people could develop this statement for themselves, is very clear that when we practice about something specifically there is secondary objectives that we cant perceive but there is something developing inside of us, that "something" is called switcher, we only can reach this ability practicing, in this case practicing other language, the way we put our mind to work one way and then otherwise makes it more strong and sensitive to the movement and thoughts, thanks to the primary objective of knowing another language we discover the multitask that makes other actions more easier to us to perform like the article says the executive job and the mind effort that require this type of job
ReplyDeleteYes Mariana, the brain is a very powerful engine. Like all engines, taking care of it is essential, making it stronger, healthier, taking care of it. Having it develop new channels.
DeleteI like the article because,the brain needs to be trained all the time, but its not enough doing puzzles or sudokus, I think an other tools are very importat, in the school years the kids learn a lot of empty knowledges, an some of the time, that information doesnt have real comprehension, for example, the english class is for most of the student a ilogical subject, and they rest importance, as it is not studying, they not put attention and feel like a suffering class.
ReplyDeleteThis isnt the objective, this investigation reveals that the bilingual students have more skills and abilities to resolve problems, or making decisions. I think if the teachers comprends that english is a powerful tool and involves the students in a interesting classes, the attitude would be different.
Yes, the attitude you have when teaching a language is essential for the success of it. If the teacher and the environment are positive, learning a language will be a great tool for the student's life development. He will not only learn the language, he will also learn about a different culture.
DeleteWell, I like this text because you can see the differences between the mono and bilingual persons, and it's something real, and proved. I think that is true that when a person is bilingual or multilingual they have more opportunities and the develop other skills, they even know they have. I think it's important to us as a teacher to try to be open to new languages and try to learn new languages so we can have the opportunity of develop skills. I know there is to many ways to get the brain work, but learning another language and practice the new language in deferents ways like speaking, listen and writing make your brain work, think and you make conscious of that process.
ReplyDeleteRight, developing the brain is not only through languages. Maybe the difference strives in the chance you have of getting into the way of thinking and going through life of other cultures. When you learn a different language you acquire all that comes with it.
DeleteThis article is interesting, I think its normal that a person who speaks 2 or more languages is of course faster in doing things because he or she has the ability to switch tasks immediately.
ReplyDeleteOn the contrary, a person who is only used to one language is a little slower at changing activities or tasks. This doesn't always happen but there are cases where it does.
Finally, I don't consider myself a person who speaks a lot of languages but that doesn't mean I can't suddenly change between activities or tasks.
Yes Iraida you are right, we cannot say it is always like that. Or we cannot say that a person who speaks only one language will not be a multi-tasker, there are other things developing the brain, like music and art for example.
DeleteIts quite interesting that the author of this article didnt state that being a bilingual speaker rather than being a monolingual means being a better person. In other words, in my personal point of view, being a better person lies on the attitude of each person while being in several situations.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this article when it states that being a bilingual person MAY have major labor opportunities. Obviously I capitalize the word may cause the situation we are living right now doesn't assure it would be like this. And even do this may not happen I also agree that this type of persons make reflexive decisions, control more their impulses, and plan their life's thoughtfully.
I will end my comment including that I like this article because its subtly or secretly inviting me to think which attitude I will pick while being in front of a class. In less than six months I know I will be behind a desk taking care of about 20 or 25 persons. Persons which I should invite to learn a second language because of their own benefit.
GOOD LECTURE :)
Yes Betty, you are right, being a bilingual person doesn't necessarily always mean you will be a better person. Every time you learn a new language you get to know about the culture where it comes from and it sure helps knowing about other cultures since it broadens the outlook you have of life. However, it needs a lot more to be a better person, right? Good comments.
DeleteThis article shows us the importance of learning another language, the benefits and the results of the research. I already know that if you are bilingual or trilingual, you can develop new abilities that could help to make things, and you can be more efficient.
ReplyDeleteSo it’s important that we start teaching also in another language, because when you are younger you can get more abilities and can speak it faster than others, so I agree that since kindergarten you must start teaching in a second language. There is a lot of material that help us to teach.
Don’t be afraid of the words, or de way you speak, you can start knowing a couple of words, but little by little you can do it better.
Yes Cristy, it is all about confidence and attitude. If you help your students to develop a better attitude towards learning, this will help them in their general learning process. This class is about languages, but in general it is the attitude we should have about education. Trust, confidence, motivation.
DeleteI think that this article is very interesting. I like the approach of the author as for which it does the study being based on a persons that they have the same punctuation in the SAT because never it affirms that the bilingual persons are more intelligent.
ReplyDeleteI know that in these days the being a bilingual person gives you more opportunities in the labor world and obviously to socialize; however, I don't imagine that a study existed as this one where it shows us that to be bilingual has advantages, I believe that unconsciously on having learned the second language and having spoken with fluency both it does that your brain exercises and could react fast in different situations.
Yes Jaque, it is very interesting. There has always been in different cultures and times people who spoke different languages and who have been outstanding. Not until recent years have linguists and scientists in general realized how speaking different languages affects the brain.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this article. I think that is really true that people who is not always conformist and try to do and prove new things can make better choices about the own thought and learning. A person who has a lot of differents activities like know more than two languages has a brain more prepared to catch new knowledges that can't take in a normal way.
ReplyDeleteThis is something like brain plasticity, that while we know more things and take different ways to the usual, rejuvenate your brain and will have the advantage of having a greater ability to form new knowledge developed
Yes Fanny you are right it is like plasticity!
ReplyDeleteThis article brought up an interesting connection. I have a few questions that take it a bit further than comparing bilinguals versus monolinguals.
ReplyDeleteDo you know of any research that shows a difference in the functioning of people who are bilingual in languages of the same root (English/Spanish) versus different root (English/Japanese)?
Another comparison could be people who live a country that speaks their dominant language versus someone who lives in a country that speaks their second languages. With the person having to always translate in their brain back and forth, I hypothesize that this would make a difference.
Any forwarding of a deeper analysis would be very interesting & appreciated. Thanks!
This study summary, which I see a number of places on the internet, includes the comment "Bilinguals were much faster than monolinguals on trials that required task-switching—their reactions were 6 milliseconds quicker on average."
ReplyDeleteApparently no one that has reproduced this has really analyzed its details. In what context would 6 milliseconds be considered "much faster"? Not a human one... That is one part in 166... Upon reading the study, you will find that the real figure is 61.38 milliseconds, which would be about 1/16th of a second -- actually discernible by a human, although I'm not sure that even then I would characterize it as "much faster".
In other words, rather than "6 milliseconds", that should say "61 milliseconds" or its equivalent...