Being bilingual ‘boosts brain power’ – I didn’t say this, but from some scientists!

I came across this article from BBC today: US researchers from Northwestern University say bilingualism is a form of brain training – a mental “work out” that fine-tunes the mind.

Quote from the article:

‘Speaking two languages profoundly affects the brain and changes how the nervous system responds to sound, lab tests revealed.’

Prof Nina Kraus, who led the research, said: “The bilingual’s enhanced experience with sound results in an auditory system that is highly efficient, flexible and focused in its automatic sound processing, especially in challenging or novel listening conditions.”

Co-author Viorica Marian said: “People do crossword puzzles and other activities to keep their minds sharp. But the advantages we’ve discovered in dual language speakers come automatically simply from knowing and using two languages.

“It seems that the benefits of bilingualism are particularly powerful and broad, and include attention, inhibition and encoding of sound.”

Isn’t it a great news for all bilinguals/multilinguals, and the future ones!