Why being bilingual is good for your brain | BBC Ideas

[@carinarascher9823]

During my childhood we spoke two languages simultaneously, German and Swedish. (Mother Swedish, Father German) Both parents spoke both languages. Then we four children learned English (actually American) in school. None of us had any problems mixing up the three languages, and if we didn't know a word in one language, we would take it from the two other languages. At the age of four I started to play an instrument...music was another language, very different allbeit. I still speak all three languages (now age 78) and had an international career as a classical concert artist. I feel blessed for all the knowledge I received, free of charge sort of to say...it has made my life rich...for which I am eternally grateful. Bylingual parents, please teach your children your languages and culture, thereby giving them a strong identity in life.

[@yotuttle]

That sounds like a wonderful career. I love your story it is very beautiful.

[@duaaemad7439]

Wow I'm fascinated

[@elizabethcsicsery-ronay1633]

Absolutely. I also grew up bilingual. We spoke Hungarian at home and English with the outside world. Then I learned French to the level of my Hungarian. I'm a translator and interpreter. You misunderstand my meaning about simultaneous interpretation. It is the act of interpreting a speech in one language simultaneously into another. I was wondering what that does to the brain.

[@elizabethcsicsery-ronay1633]

Which instrument?

[@elizabethcsicsery-ronay1633]

What instrument do you play?

[@Dingdong3696oyvey]

I speak 6 languages but I still can’t remember where I left my keys.

[@adriangonzalezchable5446]

😂

[@GeneralSelf]

You may also forget your cars, houses, and bank accounts, if you speak only one language.😂😂

[@uyennguyen9526]

How can you speak 6 languages? so amazing 😂 I’ve just studied English but never finished it

[@bottlegaruda]

😂😂😂

[@MATEWZZ1]

That's ADHD :'v

[@LuizHenrique730]

It's insane how the world opens up when you learn new languages. You get to know other cultures, other people and their ways of being. I feel like it makes you more open and tolerant to others! You become more and more a citizen of the world 🌎

[@marine_manga5800]

I learned English, and now I can't stop learning other languages 😂 send help

[@rizkyadiyanto7922]

​@@marine_manga5800learn javanese.

[@TheStubertos]

I totally agree. Living abroad and learning the language changed my life!

[@CHANTARELLA]

and the world gets smaller and smaller with so much travel available

[@daydays12]

So true!

[@AmbiCahira]

The key to learning another language as an adult is to remember that our hearing is very closely tied in with the language part of our brain so don't study the most heavily in books and through thinking only. Study heavily through listening and listen a lot. Let your brain grow used to it, let the brains pattern recognition software figure it out. The more familiar your brain is with hearing the language the more easily new words will stick, especially if you have heard it before or hear it in context. Bonus tip is to associate the words with images instead of words in your previous languages so that if you mentally picture "the red yarn in the basket" and can say it in your new language without translation then speaking will be less effortful down the line. Head translations fatigue you very fast. The last key is to not stop. You'll hit plateaus and the only way through them is just keep going. Fall in love with youtubers, streamers, TV shows and movies and soon you'll find yourself forgetting that you are watching content in this new language. You get the listening practice but learning doesn't have to be boring. Reading, writing, listening, speaking. That's the 4 skills of a language. You can do it. ^^

[@simonwood5216]

Nice one, good advice.

[@ratonautonomo8963]

Yes and no! It also depends on what kind of learner your are and how you like to learn, not exactly what teachers or experts think is the best method. Above all, when you have already learned a second language later in life. I'm a Spanish speaker, my second language used to be English, which I started learning at 26. My third was French, which I started learning at 33. It took me around a year to be fully fluent in English and to write it properly, French took about 7 months and now both are at the same level. In my very particular way of learning, I did completely the opposite of what you describe in your comment. Always associate words with words, sentences with similiar ones in my mother tongue, always listening to people and translating at the same time, and finally never stick to formulaic and survival dialog, say it the way you want to say it, as long as it's properly done. Just my two cents!

[@artiaher8693]

@@ratonautonomo8963 That's because the three languages you speak are very closely related. Language learning is a peculiar learning process and your learning experience would definitely have been very different had you been learning, say, Korean.

[@elizabethcsicsery-ronay1633]

You must be an aural type. I'm not. I have to see the words or I don't remember them from just listening. Pple are different.There are four different types of learners. Visuals are the majority.

[@cloudymatcha]

i've been watching kdramas since 2017 to the point I can understand some sentences 100%. consuming korean content without the intention of learning the language truly did more than my two years of spanish duolingo.

[@carlitoxb110]

Being offended in your first language hurts a lot more than being offended in your second language

[@luanamendes1710]

True 😂

[@typingcat]

Eh, they are more or less the same to me.

[@Wazkaty]

​@@typingcatTrue bilinguals have the same response ! The chemical way defines if it's your native or not, that's why foreign languages are "lived"/perceived differently If you don't feel that way, maybe it's because you're more than fluent

[@lukeecle117]

@@typingcat what's your second and third language?

[@typingcat]

@@lukeecle117 Probably English and Japanese.

[@Nelson_504]

Being bilingual is one of the core aspects of who I am. My second language has made possible for me to study abroad on a full scholarship, get all the jobs I've done so far, and meet and interact with people from cultures from across the globe. Being bilingual has changed my life for the better. That's why I have such a high appreciation for my second language.

[@chikabolong]

whats your second language?

[@pbpokerbrasil]

@@chikabolong looks like english

[@gilport]

What I've noticed about being bilingual, not just with myself but with friends who are also bilingual, is that my pitch changes in each language. When I speak Spanish, my pitch is lower than when I speak English. I also feel like my personality is different in each language.

[@ak5659]

Oh hell, yes!

[@F.99.]

Totally!!!

[@felixf4378]

So true. Im Mexican, and when I speak English im very serious and professional. When I speak Spanish I can be wild and free. 😂😂 I love it.

[@callyral]

Oh yep, when I speak Portuguese (my native language) my voice is quite deep. it's a bit higher in English.

[@TurrisBabylonius]

Same here, yes!

[@jeannettestuckelschwaiger5071]

Im 76, speak and write in 4 languages and Im not intelligent. Actually, Im the most stupid member in the family. However, I've learned and experienced 4 ways of doing, thinking from 4 différents cultures. This gave me à great sense of resilience.

[@darrylrotrock7816]

Stupid? I doubt it!

[@TheRealJoseramirez]

​@@darrylrotrock7816I agree.

[@Eldiran1]

Why did you have so less esteem of yourself ? To be fair, you haven't explain what the other menbers of your family have done to be qualify better but even with that, you shouldn't continue the comparason because you are way bon beyond the average joe

[@TheRealJoseramirez]

@@Eldiran1 Absolutely right.

[@Korbkorn]

Hahaha

[@Chicharrera.]

I speak 6 languages and the best way I can describe the experience is that they all seem like one single language to me in my mind. I cannot separate them apart from each other. I first became bilingual at age 2. I had been exposed to 3 languages by then (Spanish, Flemish and English). By age 6 I was fully bilingual in English and Spanish after my parents migrated to Australia from the Canary Islands when I was 2, and I had lived in Flanders, Belgium for the year prior. At age 15 I learned German in high school and came first in my class, followed by learning French the following year at 16 and also coming first. At age 25 I dated a guy who had recently migrated from Poland so I set to task to teach myself Polish. Then, at age 35 I studied traditional ancient yoga (the philosophy not the poses) and studied Sanskrit. I also have working knowledge of Italian, Portuguese and Russian. My mother's new husband is Portuguese and they live in Portugal so I often Skype them in Portuguese. My parents became bilingual at ages 21 (mother) and 27 (father) in Spanish and English. My mother learned Portuguese at age 69. I know for a fact that I am very open minded thanks to the many languages that I speak. My high school German teacher wrote in my report card that I had a gift for languages and should major in linguistics. I never formally studied it, but I have taught myself somewhat over the years with the help of the internet. I tell people that speaking more than one language opens your mind to other possibilities, other ways of seeing & doing things, other ways of thinking about things. In other words, it makes one more open minded 😁

[@irinaputintseva8146]

Wow! Impressive 🎉

[@marcop.525]

Tell me that the swearing words in Portuguese are not the best 😅

[@zhevtone]

Wow! You go girl! 🎉😊

[@michaellipschitz7230]

That’s amazing. On my 9 th and once learnt Russian so that should come back . German I start at end of the year so my Dutch and Afrikaans should help . I am proud to have a wide range including Chinese/ Japanese and Hebrew . But you are natural . I am so bad at it but just work very hard . Also I take private lessons to help . So it’s costs . But so cool when traveling. Keep up the awesome work 👍👍👍❤️🏋️‍♂️😊

[@halinailkiewicz6146]

couldn't agree more

[@marielouisepeignerichard4398]

It was crazy to hear that mother tongue is usually more emotional and second language more rational! This is exactly how I feel: when I am dealing with strong emotions, I noticed long ago that expressing them in my second language helped me calm down. These evenings I watch a series in its original language, that is my second language. Watching that series helps me relax at the end of the day and I realized that it was mostly because it is in my second language, which also helps me evade my everyday life.

[@daveking3494]

I use my mother tongue, English, whenever I curse really fast without thinking about it. I would never curse in German, that is my second language. 🙂

[@charlie_56]

​​@@daveking3494 when it comes to cursing, I feel like it makes me more emotional and angry if I curse in my mother tongue, Uzbek, however using English that has nearly become a second language after 12 years of learning, I feel somehow less connected to whatever the problem but still be "expressing my opinion"

[@carinarascher9823]

Since I learned two languages (German and Swedish) from day one of my life, I can not say one is more emotional than the other, but I can say that German (at least for me) gives me more precise words to describe something, especially in subjects such as music and art, Is that more emotional?

[@freewheeler1728]

it's no-brainer, anyone with brain to ponder the subject would know that very early - if u thought it's a "crazy idea" then that tells a lot about your intelligence level

[@ChocoLater1]

I had a same thing but over the years my emotional being is finally equalized

[@dd-pb3tx]

I speak 3 languages fluently, c, c++, python and am currently learning Scala too

[@akIndia10]

Where can I learn all these languages?

[@azizbekrahmonov7423]

I don't give a f

[@Anonymous-md4ql]

​@@akIndia10Udemy, Coursera

[@rafael2128]

​@@akIndia10w3schools

[@ana3cs3]

😂😂😂😂

[@vuslatoztopcu7108]

Everyone can learn foreign languages. The important thing is finding a good method and a routine. Repetition and making connections with the words you learn are also very important. The language you're learning must be part of your life. You should start thinking in that language. The same is true with computer programming languages and coding. Everyone can learn them. ❤

[@carlitoxb110]

Motivation is key

[@eddyevodius]

Well said

[@daveking3494]

The easiest way is to live with a partner, I learned a lot of Japanese in two years from my girlfriend. And I learned German on the streets just by living here (in Germany, ) for a few years. Just talk to everybody.

[@eddyevodius]

@@daveking3494 exposure

[@iche9373]

Exactly, Captain Obvious!

[@Emy0904...]

My native language is Spanish, but now I am studying English and Mandarin Chinese. I hope that one day I will be able to learn these languages completely. I like learning very much, especially languages.

[@alexandra.v]

You cannot learn a language completely. It may sound like bad news but actually continuous learning is part of the magic of learning a language. You can't say that you know the complete Spanish, no? But if you want to learn them at a high level, I wish you good luck! :)

[@Brotatochip6507]

Oraleeeee

[@jocelynno.37]

Que bueno! También estoy estudiando mandarín.

[@TheGuggo]

I am trilingual (Italian, Spanish and English). I grew up in a family in which all these languages were spoken. I studied French in school and then I decided to learn Japanese when I moved to Japan where I spent 10 years. After that, I moved to China where I lived for 12 years. Learning French during my adolescence was quite easy and I remember it quite well even though I don’t practice it much. Learning Japanese in my 30s was difficult. It required a significant effort and I had to use all my determination. I decided to watch movies, read books only in Japanese for several years. When I tried to learn Chinese in my late 40s, it was too hard. Unfortunately, I gave up. Sure, Chinese is a difficult language for an European and Japanese is even more difficult. However, my experience brings me to say that is extremely difficult to “completely”learn a language as an adult and the older I got the more difficult it became. Good luck with your goal.

[@aniaribeiro5353]

'When you learn a new language, you acquire a new soul' - love this!

[@ksquid1457]

Learning another language definitely becomes a part of you 😊

[@lao-ce8982]

The best thing in learning languages is having the ability to see your first language as an outsider. On my journey of acquiring languages I'm most grateful for the nuances I successfully realised about my own language. Great vid though!

[@artugert]

That’s certainly nice, but I wouldn’t say it’s the BEST thing about learning languages…

[@irememberla6460]

Bilingualism is a definitely a gift, and has its benefits both socially and physiologically

[@LinaArenas]

Tell that to America

[@oldskoolmusicnostalgia]

@@LinaArenas Or the UK, Australia, New Zealand for that matter. I speak multiple languages too but it's ridiculous how random KZbin commenters will assign numerous virtues to it which are mostly untrue: personality development, dating, etc. The reality is that you're better off being monolingual but born in a country of economic opportunity than multilingual and struggling in Papua New Guinea or Syria.

[@pulse4503]

And its fun too We europeans are lucky in some ways

[@supergripevolution5964]

its not a gift but a skill

[@ricnyc2759]

The good thing about being multilingual is that NONE can take that away from you. It's all yours. You can go homeless, naked, no money in the bank etc, yet no one can it steal it from you.

[@tomasvidovenec4616]

Dementia and Death are surprised when reading this comment

[@enneaf1676]

The passage of time wants to have a word, as well as memory

[@gidionesouza2561]

Agreed! In the worst situations I've been through, English was there for me and it was the key to get past all of it

[@cristixyz]

@@tomasvidovenec4616 Don't forget Stroke

[@darrylrotrock7816]

I love the way you think. Well said.

[@julia2k8]

I speak English, Arabic and Spanish. I'm so proud of myself 💪😎

[@318.Camswrld]

That's dope

[@julia2k8]

@@318.Camswrld thank you 😊

[@318.Camswrld]

@@julia2k8 you're welcome

[@318.Camswrld]

@@julia2k8 you got snap?

[@claires9100]

Aiwa- AH!🎉❤

[@HDJess]

It's absolutely true, probably to way more extent than everyone thinks. I've learned my 2nd language later in life, starting at 14. I can safely say that it changes everything, even your personality a bit. The way you approach problem solving, the way you interact with people and your creativity improve massively. Even the way you understand life. I'm sure it actually raises your IQ by quite a bit. I'm now half way through learning my 3rd language, Spanish.

[@arthurdatori7893]

Same here I'm a Brazilian and i learned English when I was 12, and now I'm 15 i know Japanese and Korean it's really interesting because It changes a lot how u see other cultures and the world it's pretty cool

[@lonelyberg1808]

​@@arthurdatori7893 How is your level in JP and KR

[@artugert]

You consider 14 to be “later in life”?! 😂 😂 😂 I started learning my second language at age 32.

[@fernnochez3555]

Mucha Suerte en tu aprendizaje

[@MomoTheDisciple]

You think starting at 14 is “later in life” 😂 try your 30s

[@ЕкатеринаКобзева-м5н]

The most exciting thing for me to learn was the fact that we react in our mother tongue more emotionally than in the second language. I never thought about it before. The idea why it's so never came to my mind. I come from Russia and I struggle with learning English as my second language. I've been learning it for years already. But I still have some difficulties with speaking and full understanding of this language. Anyway, I believe that learning English itself has contributed to my brain's development.

[@danilousuga410]

As a native Spanish speaker, I agree. I've been learning English since a few time ago, and I constantly think that my mother tongue is too more expressive, even poetic language than English is. It is because the vast majority of literature, art works, love letters and some kind of stuff related I have read in my life was written in Spanish. English is so beautiful and emotional too, but I guess our brains are more emotionally configured with our native language.

[@100feetsTall]

But you write perfect English, so I doubt your English is as bad as you want to make us believe. I'm three months into learning French - third for me, English isn't my mother's tongue but I started learning it in school early. Never knew learning a language as an adult while not being immersed would be this much of an headache. The pursuit is fair game though.

[@danielm5098]

As a brazilian and as a portuguese native speaker, after 20 years being in contact with the English language, I can tell that I'm still learning english every day: the vocabulary, idioms, slangs, grammar... for non natives like us, it's not easy, but that's the way it is. And for me, watching The Office paying attention to every line have been really good to improve my english lol

[@mybestideas1]

Not for me. My second language became my main language and is equal in terms of emotional response. I have now 3rd language and there I'm not closely as emotional.

[@orangeinthesoup1594]

​@@danilousuga410es una ventaja si vas a tomar una desición y quieres hacerlo con la mayor objetividad posible. Ya si la desición es más emocional o debe ser tomada rápido pues es mejor pensar en nuestro (si nuestro porque el español es mi lengua materna también) idioma principal.

[@Medi_PO]

As a person who speaks three languages I can say that being able to express yourself not only in your mother thong is FREEDOM, freedom to learn new things, connect with people, and being more confident when speaking up for yourself

[@MtbEMS]

I’m from the states 🇺🇸 and been living in South America for about nine years. This has helped me master my Spanish and somewhat lose my accent, though I notice my English has gotten rusty over time and sometimes struggle remembering certain words 😮

[@josephgoebbels2854]

Saludos desde Nicaragua 👍

[@afrazamjad1644]

​@@josephgoebbels2854خوش آمدید پاکستان سے

[@HCRAYERT.]

Gringo!

[@MtbEMS]

@@HCRAYERT. 🤔is that a good thing or…?

[@fernnochez3555]

Gringo loco

[@brettlidbury4110]

As a native English speaker who is lucky to travel to Europe professionally, I must confess to significant feelings of inadequacy in this sense. To overcome this I have revived my interest in French (and now teach this language in my community), and via long-term professional collaborations in The Netherlands, I am now an enthusiastic Dutch speaker / student. I say that I speak 3.5 languages - the two mentioned above, English and my Australian dialect (mainly with family and day-to-day with friends ...). To all English-speaking monoglots, make the effort - the benefits are immeasurable (o:

[@MrDayna39]

Yes learning a new language opens up a new way of thinking and better understandings of people

[@knowledge_talkss]

I am not familiar with bilingual individuals. I have heard this word a long time ago, but I am uncertain about its significance. I am thankful for having watched this video.

[@ananyabasu3770]

I found it to be true😂 my first language (mother tongue) is Bengali, and my second language is English (taught in school). I think more emotionally in Bengali, and more rationally in English.😮 I know 4 languages in total, Bengali, English, Hindi and German

[@efisgpr]

Interesting!!

[@MaybeRazi]

​@@efisgprsame except dutch

[@chemist_biologist]

The exact opposite happens to me

[@7YBzzz4nbyte]

With knowledge of both English and German you could probably pick up Swedish quite easily.

[@CrolyGiart]

@@7YBzzz4nbytebut is it worth it to learn swedish? according to google only 10 million people speak swedish.

[@kraxmalism]

I speak 6 apart from my native Azeri (i count only those i speak fluently). but i dont think it is a superpower or anything. each language gives you a new perspective to life, that is the best part of it. but then if you learn the language and get the worldview behind it, it is not so easy not to be confused about life tbfh

[@userMB1]

Wow! That's great! Some people are really bad at languages just like some people are bad at math even though they are smart. I was wondering how you learned those languages? I want to learn Arabic or Japanese(I haven't decided yet) but not fluently, just understanding by reading and listening. Do you think learning via Duolingo is a good way to learn a language for this purpose or do you recommend taking classes? ✌🏻

[@vuslatoztopcu7108]

Maths is not difficult. Everyone can learn it. The problem that some people have difficulty in learning maths is the fact that either they don't have good books or they're conditioned that maths is difficult. Students need good explanations to problems and solutions.

[@frozenplasticknife9731]

Russian, Turkish and English, what are the three others?

[@StoryGenerator]

English is my second language, yet I keep creating content in it. Samuel Beckett, the Irish playwright who wrote Waiting for Godot (En Attendant Godot) in French first and later translated it into English himself, has greatly inspired me. Writing in a non-native language is not a comfortable experience at all but gives me tremendous benefits, such as calmer, more rational narratives with emotional detachment, compared to overwhelming flood of rhetoric when in my mother tongue 🤓

[@toeg1]

I am trilingual, English, French and Spanish. English is my native language and I have an emotional connection with the words. At 20, I moved to Geneva, Switzerland, and learned French. This was my first culture shock as well. After a few years people could not immediately tell I was American. At 25, I moved to Mexico, my second culture shock. I found that my linguistic skills weren't the same and I never gained the level I enjoyed in Geneva. Age definitely matters.

[@christian_in_Spain]

Absolutely! I am German, learned English in school and ended up moving to the UK to study and later work when I was about 20. About 15 years and one divorce later I was back in Germany and started dating a Spanish woman. Now in my 50s, we moved to Spain a few years ago. After 5 years of living and working here, my Spanish is still nowhere near as good as my English was after that time, we are talking B2/C1. I read Spanish every day, learn Vocab, speak it to my wife but it’s nowhere near as natural to me as English and I don’t think it’ll ever be.

[@toeg1]

@@christian_in_Spain yep. Time waits for no man. Still, the treasure of cultural gold and world awareness that awaits those of us who venture forth is priceless.

[@AyaRaoof17]

Can you tell us more about your experience to learn languages later in your life?

[@toeg1]

@@AyaRaoof17 Sure. What would you like to know?

[@toeg1]

I wrote a book about each 4-year period, Switzerland and Mexico.

[@SecretMind2000]

The inclusive and supportive community you've built around your content is truly uplifting. It's evident that your work goes beyond videos, creating a sense of belonging for many.

[@michaelroark3263]

I was occasionally exposed to Spanish in early childhood and began to use it seriously at age 26, well more than half a century ago. Acquiring facility in Spanish is the best thing that has happened to me, letting me experience the diversity of the Spanish-speaking world both in Latin America and Spain. When I would have occasion to preach for a bilingual crowd the Americans in particular would say I looked like I was entering a different world, something I thought entirely true.

[@sohrabroozbahani4700]

Every new language you learn is an entire new person you unlock to live... a language is not a stand alone cognitive entity, it always comes with its own concepts and cultural connections, every new language you learn will give birth to an entire new character in you...

[@sunandarao4461]

Being an Indian, I speak seven Indian languages, read and write two indian languages. In India English language is mandatory for convent school kids. After marriage, migrated to Europe, did diploma in german language and worked 40 years in Germany. For me language always fascinated and I always tried to speak various languages. Having learnt sanskrit language for three years , I guess it triggerd the interest in learning various languages.

[@zhongxina9569]

Ich hoffe es hat Ihnen hier gefallen!

[@keithmeadchina]

Now try to learn Russian. There is a proved connection between Sanskrit and Russian. They both share the same words. Though no one yet solved the mystery how these two languages met.

[@swinina]

sanskrit and russian lauguages are from one big family of languages-protoindieuropean family,it includes english,german,spanish and farsi if im not mistaken(and other languages).@@keithmeadchina

[@darrylrotrock7816]

@@zhongxina9569 Genau das hab ich auch gedacht (und gehofft)....

[@rudolfblaha7701]

i've been learning english for 22 years. it opened me a door to a completely different world

[@Wazkaty]

I am at the beginning of this journey, and it's really very exciting!

[@cuca_]

It sounds better in english to phrase it as ‘it opened doors to a completely different world’ - you don’t say ‘it opened me a door’

[@ymhktravel]

It's true. I speak, read and write English as my first language, Chinese as my mother tongue, Japanese as my 3rd language. In my adult life, I picked up some French and German, but did not achieve conversational fluency due to lack of a conducive speaking environment. Often when you learn a language, at some point you'd also access the cultural aspect of it. That's why they say people who speak at least 2 languages are better able to understand from a different viewpoint, because the way your neuro is processing info is different, and you are able to empathise from a cultural perspective as well. Also some ideas, culture and academic knowledge from that language may rub off on you. You just have access to more peoples, cultures and different perspectives. And if you are at least bilingual, you will find the way you speak and the personality you project of yourself while speaking a different language can be different. Eg, you may sound more polite say in Japanese but more straightforward in English.

[@romanguzman3427]

That is absolutely truth lol. My mother language is Spanish and when speaking it im kind of an introvert, but for some reason when i speak english which is my second language i talk a lot more to people 😅

[@tooruu5155]

​@@romanguzman3427Interesting, I've always felt Spanish sounds like an extrovert language.

[@slomo4672]

Terminology issue: I think most people use "first language" and "mother tongue" interchangeably

[@typingcat]

@@slomo4672 Yeah, I thought they are the same thing. What's his usage here, something like "the first language" being the language he uses most, like he is an immigrant to USA from China?

[@ymhktravel]

@@slomo4672 Yes and no in the case of Singapore. Here English is our first language in school, even at home for most parents and children these days, at work and in public places. Our 4 official langs are English, Chinese (Mandarin), Malay and Tamil. "Mother tongue" need not be those official langs i mentioned earlier for each ethnic groups. Eg. for some ethnic Chinese, Chinese Mandarin learn in schools can either be our First or 2nd lang, depending on our level of fluency. But at home, some may also speak Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien etc as their "mother tongue". Some don't differentiate, while others might.

[@rakchityonzan2806]

I speak 3 language fluently and currently learning Japanese on Duolingo too

[@userMB1]

That's great! I also want to learn a new language, Japanese or Arabic, and was wondering whether Duolingo is a great source. I'm only interested in understanding the language (able to read and listen, not talk and write). Is it better than paid courses? Thanks

[@User-jr7vf]

Sorry, I can't agree with people who said they learned a language just by practicing with a app such as Duolingo. I've spent the last seven years of my life in contact with the English language, and I don't claim to even be good at it, let alone be fluent in it, though I NEVER took the time to read its grammar rules or memorize words, etc. Everything came naturally, as I was exposed to the language in my daily life. But I understand that to achieve fluency in a given language one must at least live with a group of native speakers of that language.

[@userMB1]

@@User-jr7vf you're right that to be fluent in a language, you really do need to be with people who are fluent in that language. However, I'm not interested in being fluent in Japanese or Arabic, I'm just interested in understanding it via text and listening/watching. So that's why I asked. ✌🏻

[@User-jr7vf]

@@userMB1 I see. While I'm not the right person to answer your question (since I never learned English "on purpose"), I'd say that the best for you is to take a basic course to gain familiarity with the structure of the Japanese/Arabic language. After that, head over to KZbin and start watching as many videos as possible in the language, also read a lot of texts. That will probably help more than using apps such as Duolingo.

[@hanneselch1843]

I use Duolingo for the purpose of learning some language totally new to me but also to refresh one language I learned in school for several years. Duolingo is a great way to get started in my opinion. Because it's free and like a game. You can learn in small bits. But it will not be enough to fully learn a language. It doesn't teach you grammar for example. Which makes it sometimes frustrating when Duolingo expects you to know the grammar in some exercises. I bought grammar books to get some basics at least. I also recommend finding videos, podcasts, books etc in the target language to dive deeper. Of course the best way to learn a language is to speak to natives. But Duolingo gives you at least a good chance to get started.

[@ramirenriquez6795]

The movie "Arrival (2016)" made me realize that learning a new language is similar to entering a new world or having more access to anything and in the movie it is access to the future.

[@Aixza]

Polyglot here. My native tongue is Spanish. I learned English at school and later added Italian. I can comprehend and get by in Portuguese and French. I’m always interested in these topics because they uncover the mysteries that lie within multilingual neurological activity.

[@kirbyteoh]

I speak Cantonese as my mother tongue , mandarin and English are my co- first language , I am thankfully that with the bilingual / trilingual ability , I can assess to Chinese value e.g Confucianism, Taoism , Buddhism and western values e.g Greco Roman and Judeo Christianity and all modern western philosophy, it shapes my diversified and inclusivity world views and even makes me have more variety in different cuisine choices.

[@giovanniserafino1731]

I am a native speaker of English. I learned both Italian and Spanish. Since I understand both languages perfectly and do not translate into my native language, there are times when I am watching a TV program in either language and don’t realize which language is being spoken. I just understand whatever is being spoken.

[@bainosisugua7136]

I speak english, spanish, bahasa indonesia, little bit portugues. Beings polyglot easy to adapt any invironment

[@anthonyn6053]

My one language is English. However, since high school I’ve had a fascination with learning Spanish. I tried in 2019, and it’s been on pause ever since. I still know many words and vocabulary, so I’m going to try again this year. I hope one day I will am fluent.

[@g0odnite]

I'm a bilingual. Would it be weird if I tell you that I can be both emotional and rational speaking both langauages?

[@MtbEMS]

Ditto. Same here 🤔

[@lulu-qz2en]

"people TEND to react MORE emotionally". Off course it is not black and white...

[@Dillon-Kees]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for this amazing video! I've been looking for a video like this--stunning footage, clear explanations, and so on--for my middle school world language explorations classes, and now I've FINALLY found one.

[@blinkjetimmersion]

Being bilingual was only ever seen as holding someone back if the person was poor and needed to work and the society they are in has a bad perception of the country or culture that the language comes from. It has never been seen as something bad for rich people. I'm so glad attitudes are changing.

[@oceans.and.deserts]

I worked as a K-5 tutor in bilingual ed. while a senior in college. I became bilingual by 21 from living abroad off and on, but am now rather rusty in my 2nd language after 25+ years of little practice. The reason my old college job existed was because bilingual kids whose parents only speak their native tongue sometimes fell behind in English in school (reading, writing, etc.). That's the only negative I can think of in terms of being bilingual.

[@oldskoolmusicnostalgia]

"It has never been seen as something bad for rich people" Countries with the highest number of millionaires: USA, China, France, Japan, Germany, UK, Canada, Italy, Australia, Italy, Korea. Most of these are heavily monolingual countries and cultures. So where does your theory of multilingualism leading to wealth come from??

[@yoloid2972]

This is Tara. I speak 4 languages. My mother tongue is Sundanese (regional language in West Java). My daily language is Indonesian. I studied English and Arabic when I studied in school.

[@jozefkostelansky]

In my, Slovak language we use to say: how many languages you speak, so many times you are a human. For bilingual chidren (e.g. father and mother have different nationality) pays one important rule: each of them should always talk with the child with its own language and not to mix languages.

[@1violalass]

I don't know, mixing languages can be fun. We spoke Italian and English at home, using whichever words came to mind first, reaching for French if neither English nor Italian delivered. I don't remember ever being confused about which language was which.

[@darrylrotrock7816]

I will remember this saying - thank you! Best wishes from Germany.

[@user-cr3fz8lz2i]

I’m an American, which means I speak poor English even though my father’s father was Austrian. I’m so envious of those of you who speak more than one language! It is on my bucket list to learn another language like German, Dutch, Swedish, etc. One of my many retirement goals!!!

[@jeffersonaraujoelcristiano]

I am from South America and I speak more than 5 languages others than Spanish. I am the best.

[@jerryonroad]

Learning language later in life can be more challenging, but the benefits can also be greater~ great motivation

[@practicalshooter6517]

I am French living in the US. I dream in English, with French subtitles.

[@CrazyCreativeButShy]

Learning another language also makes me aware of how I talk in my mother tongue (English)! I've noticed better projection and delivery overall when talking to others in whatever setting I am in... it's like speech therapy!

[@Ikgeloofhetniet]

I was always curious about how having more than one language from birth compares with speaking learned (as adult) languages. I am fluent in three languages but the two foreign languages I speak, I learn as an adult. I always knew there is something different about my situation and that of someone who grew up speaking two languages but whenever this subject is covered, they usually just focus on one or the other and never compare the two situations. Thank you!

[@MtbEMS]

What you say makes me think about growing up being exposed to two languages at the same time ( English/ Spanish) When I’m asked what’s my native language, I have a hard time coming up with an answer. Another point is that i feel I have an accent when I speak either one language. What gives 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@andybliss5965]

Your situation is more difficult, requires more skill and I would say that makes you a linguist unlike the other situation

[@lenaamartin36]

@@MtbEMS both are.

[@MtbEMS]

@@lenaamartin36 interesting. Thanks for your input 🙂

[@artugert]

I think it depends on a lot of factors. Is your level of proficiency in all three languages perfectly equal? Probably not. Even for people who grew up bilingual from birth, their proficiency is the two languages will vary. Or they are better at talking about certain subjects in one language and some in the other. At what age did you learn the languages and what experiences have you had, what memories have you made living the language? Do you use all three equally? Since you learned as an adult, you won’t have childhood memories in those languages, which is a big difference. All your concepts of the meanings of words were formed in your adult brain, initially through the filter of your mother tongue. It also makes a huge difference whether or not you are culturally connected to your other two languages. Do you have family or friends who speak the languages? Do you live or often visit a place where people speak them? Oftentimes people who are bilingual from birth have family that speak both languages, so it forms a part of their identity. If you live in a country long enough, it can become a part of your identity, but it will never be the same as having that sense of identity from birth. As for me, I started learning Chinese at 32 (which is also when I got married), and now 6 years later, I speak it well enough that I can talk to my wife without using English. But I’m still far from being as proficient in it as English. My two year old son, on the other hand, is a native Chinese speaker. At some point his Chinese will be better than mine, and his English will be better than his mother’s. If I lived in a Chinese speaking country for 20 years and studied a lot, perhaps I could match my current English level. But even then, people would see me as a foreigner and part of another culture. I could never know what it truly feels like to be Chinese.

[@sharonkaysnowton]

Being bilingual is a wonderful thing! It opens you up to a whole new world!! And a whole different perspective!!!! I love being a person who speaks more than one language. Thanks for this video.

[@glebkanon3268]

Does it mean that only learning new languages can help keep our brains working and clear-minded better than other activities? For example, if I train my brains through different maths tasks and exercises although mathematics isn't my profession

[@elainejones9299]

Being trilingual, quadrilingual and multilingual is good too.

[@ashleyhamriding9128]

I’m 30 and started learning my second language at 24 and my third language at 25. Since then, I sleep better too. It’s like my brain shuts off easier because more of its capacity is being used, and also been able to think more critically than previous. It’s something I firmly recommend anyone do, even on a very casual basis

[@morganma3038]

Mother tongue is in our soul ! No any second or third languages can be compared to

[@MohammedAdam-rp9go]

It's absolutely right. Although we can't prove such a thing

[@williamgarcia1409]

Cual es to Mother Dong ?

[@marksimons8861]

1:10 If I am not mistaken, bilingual people do not speak more than one language, they speak two. If you speak more than two languages you will be multilingual or polyglot. Forgive me if I am being pedantic on this point.

[@markward3981]

No people have redefine these words polyglot (simply means many no specific number) . Multi also suggests more than one .

[@lilithli2690]

The most surprising thing for me is exposure at 2-5 years old is considered as "late" bilingual!

[@darrylrotrock7816]

Yes, somewhat disheartening for the rest of us!

[@Xiroi87]

Well that's because being bilingual is not learning a second language and become fluent in it, but speaking both languages as a native.

[@theultimatereductionist7592]

I am bilingual in English and mathematics. My brother, who is 6 years older, is multilingual in English, C++, Java, Python, scripting languages.

[@Bambi-TheBunny]

Soo grateful to be natively bilingual! But now I speak 6 languages fluently and I’m learning 4 more ❤️ I love languages!

[@wonderwoman5528]

Welsh?

[@Bambi-TheBunny]

@@wonderwoman5528 no I don’t speak Welsh

[@wonderwoman5528]

It’s a hard language if you want to test yourself :) @@Bambi-TheBunny

[@Bambi-TheBunny]

@@wonderwoman5528 cool! Maybe in the future 😃

[@masterchinese28]

I grew up in rural Idaho and knew nothing but English until I signed up for a program that sent me to France. Those early adult years were a formative time, and I still find that speaking and hearing French brings back memories from that part of life. In my later studies and work, I came to know and speak Mandarin. Like the video mentions, I am probably more logical and less emotional when doing so, because I use it primarily for work. Meanwhile, I watch my fully bilingual daughter bounce between English and Tagalog and I find it amazing how she picks up the pronunciation and even cultural nuance almost effortlessly.

[@groovermctoober4508]

In school I had to take French in grades 7 and 8. I hated it, so in grades 9 and 10 I took Spanish. I hated that too. And so I was thrilled to learn that when I went to college I wouldn't have to take any languages at all! I simply had no talent for them. However, after I completed my studies, I moved to Germany and began teaching myself German. Within just 5 months I was able to follow entire movies in German and soon began reading the daily newspaper and then German books. It was so easy to learn a foreign language when I wasn't learning in a school setting. I then went on to teach myself Swedish, and a few years ago then taught myself to speak Dutch. I'm now 71 and currently teaching myself Italian; I expect to be near fluent sometime next year. Thereafter, I'll begin learning French again, but this time not in a school setting. So, 1) it is possible to teach yourself several foreign languages (once you've got the first one down, the rest come much, much easier), and 2) it is also possible to learn new languages when you're older than 70. My advice: Just refrain from translating in your head, instead work on immediately comprehending the word or sentence or what have you directly in the foreign language. The sooner you can do this, the better, because that's the only way you will learn to command that language (and then when you move on to learn another language, you'll be able to immediately comprehend words in the new foreign language without even trying). And while I'm on the subject, learning a foreign language isn't just good for your brain's health, each language also opens up a new culture with all sorts of wonderful things to explore that you'd previously never even heard of. For a schoolkid who hated learning languages, I now can't imagine going through life always just speaking the same old language--how boring that must be.

[@librovk1251]

Wow. Really inspiring. I'm in the process of learning french. Hope I can understand french movie and music one day. I like the music by the pink Martini, I hope I can understand the meaning.

[@oldskoolmusicnostalgia]

Finally a realistic comment that is not tinted with rosy-eyed glasses. Language teaching in school settings is indeed shite. In my country we are taught English and French from primary school yet most people fare very poorly in both. The ones who do master the languages to an appropriate level are those watching TV/movie content and reading stuff in those languages outside of school, which is only useful for teaching rules and grammar.

[@hmyesmoment1683]

I definitely agree with the emotional/rational perspective, learning english in school, I use it when doing math, and my native language when thinking about personal things

[@emmanueluche3262]

I speak English and know some Spanish , currently learning German now

[@hanstubben]

As a Dutch born near the border of Germany in the early sixties, we got tri lingual quite naturally, as we could watch Dutch and German TV, then most of the English spoken TV programs had only subtitles and original sound. Then in my twenties I moved to Brazil and got learn Portuguese too. And with the Portuguese language you start to understand other roman languages better too.

[@darrylrotrock7816]

I can relate! Growing up in Ulm we could - weather permitting - listen to a Swiss channel. This is how I got a head start on French and acquired a smattering (hey, better than nothing!) if Italian. Een fijne dag!

[@enioduarte7091]

This is Enio Duarte from Brazil. "Though I speak all the languages ​​of men and angels, without love I am nothing." A brain free from dementia means having peace and love to give.

[@Chahlie]

Ahh, but maybe having peace and love to give means a brain free from dementia... :)

[@MagicMike_101]

DDuuuhhh

[@matthewdackers5903]

❤ Verdade 😊🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷

[@matthewdackers5903]

❤ Verdade 😊🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷

[@cmaven4762]

Love the validation in this! Make this year the year you learn a new language!

[@a-complished4406]

I speak 4 languages every day, and understand another 4 or 5. What I like most is to be able to watch movies in the original language 😊

[@RM-jb2bv]

I speak 5 languages so I’m better than you, brainiac!

[@UlisUlis-ep1lj]

Hi,how come you use four languages every day? :) do you work with people, or what's your occupation? Just curious! I speak 3 - my native from my home country, English and the language of the country I live in

[@a-complished4406]

@@UlisUlis-ep1lj I am a teacher of Spanish and German in an American school (3), but my native language is Portuguese (+1), that makes 4.

[@giovannavictoria_]

​@@a-complished4406Você é de Portugal ou brasileiro? :) Muito interessante!

[@a-complished4406]

@@giovannavictoria_ brasileiro- mineiro

[@josenicolasseguramendez23]

Hello from Mexico ! I had the chance to visit UK back in 1993, I visited the Grotto, Leads Castle and of course London. Ever since I continue studying english. I worked for a Britisk company named Crosfield Limited, UK. Thanks to this language I've been able to get better jobs here at Mexico City, thanks BBC of London for your kind support. Best regards: Jose Nicolas Segura Mendez. I also went to the Soho, and several different London locations and Museums which are just fantastic ! Viva Mexico, Viva UK too.

[@mpnistal]

I speak 6: English, Tagalog, français, C#, javascript and python. 😂

[@helenemorgenstern9110]

Language as a tool is the key to all of human knowledge. So, more languages means more understanding of our world. It's not just about reading in different languages, but also about new ways of analyzing information. For example, I have a medical degree. I could dissect complex terminology and immediately recognize diseases/procedures/drugs. We were built to understand patterns; languages teach us see more with this approach.

[@ur83art47]

Buen articulo!

[@olenanykolyshyna8918]

I used to be so excited about my baby being bilingual. And now when she is 5 (growing in tri lingual environment ) her ability to speak each language is at the level 3-4 years monolingual kid. Im worried, frustrated and scared of her ability to progress

[@pewdek]

i speak indonesian, javanese, arabic, english and now studying korean! im so proud of myself

[@ernestorevollar3632]

I'm proud of being a bilingual person ❤ and that has tremendously developed my brain. I can only speak English and Spanish fluently and I think I couldn't be managing more than two languages because it will obviously challenge my hardworking brain much further. It may need to take up a new whole approach for trying to truly learn new languages that are considerably distant from English and Spanish such as French, German, Russian and so forth. I love the two languages I speak and I'm still brushing up on my communication skills. There are a lot of challenges related to it to embrace in the future. Children have a sort of plasticity into their brains that allow them to easily absorb the languages they're learning whereas young people and adults usually have hard times when trying to approach new languages later in life because their language learning ability has fewer neural connections to get tons of new information and that's why they're kinda frustrated or discouraged about learning to speak a new language as they get older. I guess that's actually not my case. It just needs more time and practice as well as a more effective study plan to achieve realistic goals and be successful in a well defined way.

[@prateekjain506]

Does it still have the same effect if the two languages are similar say Hindi and Marathi?

[@45tibi]

Probably still good but not to the same extent if the languages are too similar

[@Hijabibti925]

My mother made a huge effort to teach me spanish, it was the best thing she did for me, I can now visit 21 countries if i want and understand the language. I listen to spanish music and poetry and enjou the friendship of a broader group of people. I can somewhat understamd italian and portuguese as well. She truley gave me GOLD! Inshallah I will learn Arabic, Urdu and Punjabi next!

[@jasonshih3633]

Well, this is true about the first language being more emotional, and second language being more reational. I have always thought I was an edgelord in English and treated the language very professionally despite using it daily for recreational purposes. However, when I switch to mandarin my friends have noticed that mood tends to change into more positive and I have also observe that I tend to speak differently. I am also less socially awkward in it. Yeah, I still suck at socializing in English despite speaking it for my entire life, but mandarin ,I can easily chalk up a conversation much faster. (partially because as a 2nd gen, i actually know how to read and write and I also use slangs, but I have never used the language in school) so I always felt more laidback in it. This is also very random, but I dont like spaeking mandarin to people I just met unless it is a cultural event. Iwould pretend to not understand but in reality I can understand eveyr single word. I tend to not speak it unless the situation calls for it. I also dislike mixing languages so if I switch I will continue speaking in that lnaugage only.

[@briseboy]

There is a nonword, "edgelord", confusing an early sentence, above.

[@jasonshih3633]

@@briseboy Ok bro, slangs exist.

[@Mitasuhealthcare]

I learned something new today, thanks to this video. Can't wait to see more content like this.

[@fastcraft5503]

I understand two languages English and Python Does this make me bilingual????

[@7YBzzz4nbyte]

Probably not but you could probably find it easy to pick up, say, Spanish by watching lectures in Spanish on how to program in Python. Try it@

[@davido3026]

That does not make you a cobra!!!

[@darrylrotrock7816]

Not bilingual, but fork-tongued!

[@taniadisuria3653]

I speak two languages and learning third language. 😁

[@alex-chicago-80]

The fact that they learned this now. I've known that knowing two languages helps me with concentration and opens a whole new world of knowledge, is a given.

[@bisho-jo]

I speak 7 languages and I am still poor.

[@josephgoebbels2854]

I speak English and Spanish and I am also poor 😂

[@Chickenface12345]

Yep. Same here.

[@tracingwithHasan]

I speak 3 languages such as English, deutsch, Bangla but i am still poor🤔🤣

[@bethjune3255]

If you speak English, then come to Vietnam, you will soon be rich!

[@patricekoffi7545]

How do you do? Give me your secret

[@naomiparsons462]

I wouldn't say I speak a second language - I am low B1 level in french - but when I get overwhelmed I express my emotions in french. It helps a lot, even if I'm not able to actually say the words and I just voice them in my head. It's almost like taking a step back from my emotions by switching my brain over to another language.

[@megamind_2222]

Americans have left the chat

[@sho8567]

British people have left the chat

[@enzoGooGle2050]

South europeans left youtube

[@crea8visual]

😂lol😂

[@mirnesnuhanovic9597]

I graduated college. I was a soccer player, a soccer referee, I ran 4 marathons, one ultramarathon, and 20 other races, I have been playing tennis for 19 years, I sometimes work as a coach, I speak English, I also know German, I have read many world classics and holy books, books of philosophy and etc. But very often I do not feel any smarter.

[@janakiramnallamothu3020]

నా మాతృభాష తెలుగు (My native language is Telugu). I learned English in school, und Ich lerne derzeit Deutsch auf Duolingo. Ich habe eine 489-Tage-Seri (I am currently learning German on Duolingo. I have a 489-day streak).

[@mist383]

Ich spreche etwas deutsch. Ich komme aus Mithila (Bihar) und meine muttersprache ist Maithili. Jai Hind 🇮🇳

[@darrylrotrock7816]

Viel Glück und Erfolg! Weiter so!

[@salmazraiouil2403]

As a moroccan watching this, I'm really proud 😆😎... In Morocco, we speak Moroccan Darija and Amazigh language at home, then we learn Standard Arabic at school since it's Morocco's official language, after that we start learning French at the age of 6, later we learn English in middle school, and we keep learning it by ourselves even after school since it's the most spoken language in the world... and many people especially in the northern parts of the country can speak Spanish as well since they are near Spain... So that makes an average of 5 to 6 languages that a moroccan can speak, especially young generations... I can personally speak Moroccan Darija, Standard Arabic, French, English, Korean, and a little bit of Japanese... Languages are a big flex for moroccans 😎🤭 So I'm really happy to hear all this about being polyglot...

[@Gadavillers-Panoir]

I'm both bilingual and cunnilingual.

[@angelabender8132]

😂

[@AyaRaoof17]

Can any one tell us more about the simple things which change after being bilingual like how the major thing changes in your life:- new job- accept in uni Or tiny things like dreaming in your second language (my dream to dream in English)

[@carlomalabanan]

In America there are some families that still discourage their children to learn another language aside from English, especially among Filipino Americans because those immigrant parents think their kids cannot master English very well and make them sound like they will speak English with accent - parents keep thinking their kids will be left behind from everything, from schools to jobs, which sounds pathetic for me.

[@keniabernard]

A scarcity mindset for sure..

[@rosana3349]

I couldn’t agree more.

[@kzm-cb5mr]

Middle class Filipinos in the Philippines are also adopting this weird mindset, unfortunately.

[@prismix5515]

2:05 This guy sounds so cool dang.

[@lukasblazek4890]

I speak 3.5 i guess

[@RadenYohanesGunawan]

I speak Indonesian and English. Now I’m learning Portuguese (Brazilian) I love being a bilingual 😊❤

[@susanabrandanmazyazh9291]

I speak four languages, and in process of learning the 5th. That is just amazing how it reshapes you ways of thinking in a good way. You definitely become much more tolerant and understanding towards other poeple, and you become a globalized person yourself.

[@lililu883]

What are those languages??

[@Hotsk]

Wow, I also speak four languages and am learning a fifth (the four are English, German, Swedish and Dutch, and I'm currently learning Italian).

[@daveleesenglish]

Fascinating! I teach English as a second language, and, of course, I am going to be sharing this video with my students!

[@hawthorn3499]

I disagree about the possibility that someone learning another language is more likely to go ok with diverse point of views or the ability of understanding other mind's perspective Algerians speak arabic and french ... And yet someof them are extremist Lebanese as well speak arabic english and french and yet they couldn't get rid of thier conflicts ... Till now ...😂😂😂

[@andybliss5965]

Finally some sense. I love languages especially French. But I hate all these clichés like different languages make you more open minded. I've found in countries like France or Japan the more they speak English the more ignorant they can be.

[@daphpunkk]

I love being born in a multilingual country sooo much because of that!!! I'm from Switzerland, I speak french as my first language and had to learn german early on. I'm grateful because I had the chance to learn a few languages from a young age, exploring and discovering the cultures behind those languages. Its truly an amazing experience, where you can learn a lot, may it be about yourself and how your brain works (your learning process), or others and their cultures :)