Speaking multiple languages may slow brain aging by years, study finds
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Speaking two or more languages may help slow brain aging, new research suggests.
The study, presented at the 2026 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies Forum, found that people who speak more than one language have younger brains than those who speak only a single language.
Researchers analyzed the brain activity of hundreds of people in the Basque region of Spain who spoke one to four languages, including Spanish, Basque, French and English. They used artificial intelligence to estimate each participant’s “brain age” based on brain connectivity patterns.
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Researchers found that the brains of bilingual participants looked about six years younger than those of monolingual participants. The brains of those who spoke three languages looked about seven years younger, while the brains of those who spoke four languages looked about 13 years younger.
The findings also revealed that people who learned a second language earlier and spoke it fluently experienced greater benefits.
Speaking more than one language may help people’s brains stay younger as they age, new research suggests. (iStock)
Neuroscientist, performance consultant and author of “The Stimulated Mind: Your Future-Ready Brain from Dementia and Stay Sharp at Any Age” Dr. Tommy Wood said the findings support previous research showing that speaking more than one language can help preserve cognitive function as people age.
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“Most of the evidence for the benefit of learning more than one language comes from individuals who grew up bilingual or learned more than one language in childhood,” Wood, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital.
Adults who didn’t grow up speaking more than one language shouldn’t think it’s too late to take advantage of it, he said.
By analyzing the brain activity of hundreds of people who spoke one to four languages, researchers used artificial intelligence to predict how old their brains looked based on patterns of brain connectivity. (iStock)
“There is no age limit at which learning a second language is no longer useful,” Wood said.
He said multiple randomized controlled trials involving older adults have found improvements in attention, working memory and executive functions after just a few months of language learning.
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Beyond improving cognitive functions, learning a new language can also help people stay socially active and strengthen the brain’s ability to absorb new information, Wood said.
He encouraged adults not to become discouraged by making mistakes while learning.
Experts say learning a new language can help people stay socially active while supporting brain health. (iStock)
“It’s also important to keep up with the process of becoming a beginner,” Wood said.
“Making mistakes is one of the biggest drivers of neuroplasticity and learning,” he said. “If you choose to learn a new language, stick with it, challenge yourself, and embrace the occasional failure. You’ll actually learn faster as a result.”
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The researchers acknowledged several limitations of the study.
While they took into account factors such as age, gender and education, they said they could not ignore the influence of other factors such as lifestyle and social participation that may have influenced the findings.
