1. One of the benefits of learning a second language is that it can help make you smarter
Well, yes, but no. While intelligence is a broad topic, there are no studies that suggest that speaking two languages actually makes you more intelligent. However, studies have shown that speaking two languages makes our brains work harder and uses more cognitive processes.1✅ JOURNAL REFERENCE
DOI: 10.1038/nrn37092✅ JOURNAL REFERENCE
PMID: 19729156
One study has revealed that children who are bilingual are better at solving puzzles in comparison to children who are monolingual.3✅ JOURNAL REFERENCE
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0811323106
So how does it work? Speaking two languages exercises our brains and can help make them more efficient.
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