For a healthy brain: "The longer you have experience using two or more languages, the better"

April 2, 2026

You thought you heard all the good things multilingualism can bring. Then research adds another: younger brains!

A large study published in Nature Aging suggests that speaking multiple languages is associated with slower biological aging of the brain and body compared with speaking only one language. This pattern was observed across more than 80,000 people in 27 European countries. Multilingual people were less likely to show signs of accelerated aging, even after accounting for health, lifestyle, and social factors.

We have long argued that multilingualism benefits not only the child, but society as a whole: healthy identity development, strong family bonds, a skilled workforce, and even more peaceful and democratic communities. Brain health across the lifespan appears to be yet another advantage for individuals and society alike.

The title quote was taken from a National Geographic article reporting on the research, quoting Viorica Marian, author of The Power of Language and a professor at Northwestern University who was not involved in the study.

The full study in Nature Aging: Multilingualism protects against accelerated aging in cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of 27 European countries