The Brain and Two Languages
A terrific article on the brain and two languages on the World Economic Forum website says that dual language brains activate both languages even in situations where only one is being used. So, while the bilingual person’s attention is focused only on one, he or she is quieting interference from the other, says the site.
It takes time, practice and brain discipline in managing two competing responses, it states. It’s for this reason it’s believed that bilingual kids perform better than other kids on tests related to self-control. It says also that, as young as seven months, dual language kids can reverse previously learned language rules and abstract rules easier than monolingual children. It makes sense knowing that the particular parts of the brain that are used to switch between languages are the same ones that apply to self-control tasks, says the site.
In addition, the Brain Facts website says that studies show that two-language preschoolers can focus better on a task while tuning out distractions compared to their monolingual peers. According to research, the site adds that even bilingual adults can concentrate better than monolinguals and even more so if they learned two languages when they were young.
There’s a benefit to being bilingual when you’re a senior as well. Even if the second language was acquired in adulthood, studies show that the cognitive decline from aging may be less rapid in people who know two languages or more, says an article on the brain and two languages by the Parent Herald.
Indeed, the brain and two languages is a fascinating topic, and programs like the Latino Family Literacy Project can assist kids in having better reading skills and faster language development while also promoting brain growth. Based on neuroscience research, parents singing, talking and reading to their kids helps them to develop more connections (synapses) in the brain which assists greatly in becoming higher functioning kids and adults. Teachers can attend a program training through an online webinar or a workshop near them.