Neuroscience Field

Writer: Isabella Pankow

Editor: Shrinidhi Sridhar

Research shows that learning new languages makes you smarter

Have you ever wondered what happens to the brain when you learn a new language? Scientists have discovered learning new vocabulary and grammar can alter your brain chemistry (Hernandez, 2025). In addition, research has reported that multilingual people often have better memory, focus, and critical thinking skills than those who only speak one language (Jiang, 2025). Learning new languages strengthens the brain by improving mental flexibility, neuroplasticity, and preventing dementia. 

When a person learns a new language, the brain creates new connections between neurons. This process happens through neuroplasticity, allowing the brain to grow and reorganize itself. These connections are strengthened through repeated thoughts and behaviors, causing the neural pathways associated with these connections to become faster. The formation of these new pathways essentially reshape the brain by adapting and storing these new skills into long-term memory. Brain structures like the hippocampus (which controls memory) and the prefrontal cortex (which controls judgement and decision making) become more active. Over time the increased activity of these structures can lead to improvements in memory and cognitive flexibility. 

A study by professor Liu Tu and his team aimed to test whether language learning had a prominent effect during adulthood. Participants went under high resolution structural MRI scans using voxel based morphometry and researchers compared the average gray matter between both groups. They found that adults who learned Mandarin Chinese had a significantly greater gray matter volume than those who didn’t learn a new language. This study reveals how even in adulthood, the brain can adapt and reorganize structurally to promote growth. These findings are highly significant, due to the fact that brain growth can prevent and slow degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer's.

In addition, the increase of gray matter and brain activity in the hippocampus has been strongly linked to delaying and even preventing dementia (Coulter, 2024). Dementia rates are skyrocketing due to the aging population in the United States. A study by NYU Langone Health predicts that by 2060, dementia cases will rise to a million new cases per year. The risk of developing dementia after the age of sixty among Americans has grown to forty-two percent, making one in three people susceptible to this disease. Language learning reduces this risk by increasing the brain’s ability to form cognitive reserves (the brain’s ability to use alternative neural networks to maintain cognitive function). These cognitive reserves help prevent age related damages or alterations in the brain. 

When learning a new language, the brain is constantly challenged to apply grammar rules and recall vocabulary. This repetition strengthens neural networks, making the brain more resilient to degenerative changes. Challenging oneself to learn a new language is similar to a mental workout, the more you practice, the stronger you become. Being multilingual isn’t just a skill, it is a way of becoming more adaptable and healthier over time. 

Works Cited

Coulter, Kristina, and Natalie A Phillips. “Bilinguals Show Evidence of Brain Maintenance in Alzheimer’s Disease.” Bilingualism Language and Cognition, vol. 27, no. 5, 13 Sept. 2024, pp. 1–10, www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bilingualism-language-and-cognition/article/bilinguals-show-evidence-of-brain-maintenance-in-alzheimers-disease/361106CAD89B93CCAC8463CC90C3CCE0#, https://doi.org/10.1017/s1366728924000221.

Jiang, Rong, et al. “The Neural Mechanisms of Private Speech in Second Language Learners’ Oral Production: An FNIRS Study.” Brain Sciences, vol. 15, no. 5, 25 Apr. 2025, pp. 451–451, https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15050451. Accessed 25 July 2025.

Hernández, Daniel López, et al. “A – 1 Bilingualism Serving as a Neuroprotective Factor for Processing Speed and Memory Abilities in Mexican Bilinguals with Alzheimer’s Disease.” Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 26 Sept. 2025, academic.oup.com/acn/advance-article/doi/10.1093/arclin/acaf084.025/8264452?login=true&utm_source=chatgpt.com, https://doi.org/10.1093/arclin/acaf084.025. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

Tu, Liu, et al. “Increased Gray Matter Volume Induced by Chinese Language Acquisition in Adult Alphabetic Language Speakers.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 13, 25 Apr. 2022, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.824219. Accessed 17 Sept. 2023.

NYU Langone Health. “United States Dementia Cases Estimated to Double by 2060.” NYU Langone News, 2025, nyulangone.org/news/united-states-dementia-cases-estimated-double-2060.