Have you ever wondered what it would be like to speak more than one language? Would it be hard to talk without mixing up the languages?
Let's look at what scientists have to say: they think that using two languages provides the brain with plenty of practice exercising a certain kind of cognitive control. When a person is bilingual, for example, he or she has two different languages constantly active in the mind. In order to speak one language without intrusions from the other, the speaker's brain needs to suppress the language that isn't being used.
So how exactly does the brain manage to hold back one language in favor of another? Researchers have argued that the same mental processes and skills that allow us to do things such as focus our attention, remember directions, and control impulses work in the bilingual brain to suppress the language that isn't being used. In fact, studies seem to show that thanks to the practice the brain receives while managing two languages, bilingual folks may gain some mental advantages even beyond the realm of language control. Researchers found that a lifetime spent speaking two languages appears to slow the rate of decline for some mental processes as people age, and other studies suggest advantages that have to do with creativity and problem‑solving.
So, based on this research it seems that using more than one language is good for the brain.
