Being bilingual has more advantages than only being able to speak two languages. Scientists have proved that it has a positive effect on our brains and it improves cognitive skills not related to language.
The interference that a second language causes on the brain is useful for it because it forces the brain to resolve internal conflicts, giving the mind a workout that strengthens its cognitive muscles.
Many studies suggest that the bilingual experience improves the brain’s so-called executive function, a command system that directs the attention processes that we use for planning, solving problems and performing several other mentally demanding tasks.
A heightened ability to monitor the environment is the key difference between bilinguals and monolinguals. A researcher at the University Pompeu Fabra in Spain found that the bilingual subjects not only performed better, but they also did so with less activity in parts of the brain involved in monitoring, indicating that they were more efficient at it.
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