1,721,079 research outputs found
Language control and the neuroanatomy of bilingualism: in praise of variety
No full textStructural data when allied to rich behavioural data offer an important resource for studying adaptive changes in the human brain contingent on the use of more than one language. In our commentary on the review paper by García-Pentón et al. (2015. The neuroanatomy of bilingualism: How to turn a hazy view into the full picture. Language, Cognition and Neuroscience.) we emphasise that data from a variety of methods already converge in identifying key regions subject to adaptive change. With richer characterisations of individual differences in language use more specific predictions can be tested (e.g. on fronto-cerebellar circuits) and such characterisations can in turn inform intervention studies to help specify the causal bases of adaptive change. In the meantime there is great research value in neuroanatomical studies of richly characterised cross-sectional samples of bilingual and multilingual speakers.No Full Tex
Bilingualism, cognition, and aging
No full textExtract: Topics in psycholinguistics and the neurocognition of language rarely attract the attention of journalists or the general public. One topic that has done so, however, is the potential benefits of bilingualism for general cognitive functioning and development, and as a precaution against cognitive decline in old age. Sensational claims have been made in the public domain, mostly by journalists and politicians. Recently (September 4, 2014) The Guardian reported that “learning a foreign language can increase the size of your brain”, and Michael Gove, the UK's previous Education Secretary, noted in an interview with The Guardian (September 30, 2011) that “learning languages makes you smarter”. The present issue of BLC addresses these topics by providing a state-of-the-art overview of theoretical and experimental research on the role of bilingualism for cognition in children and adults
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