Neuroplasticity in Action: Exploring Adult Language Acquisition and Multilingualism

Written By: Jolyn Le

Edited By: Abbie Affum

Introduction

Have you ever wanted to learn a new language? Perhaps as a way to order the most delicious food off the menu as you travel across the world, or to understand friends and family who primarily speak another language? Applications across the internet have provided accessible opportunities for people to learn languages easily. Though it becomes difficult to maintain progress and to fully immerse yourself in the language and culture. In this article, we explore whether adults can acquire new languages like native speakers and young children fully, and how learning a language impacts cognition.

Are you able to learn and acquire new languages like native speakers?

Studying a new language is no easy feat, as it requires grit and consistency. It is believed through previous studies that there is a natural advantage in acquiring a language at a young age, or that our brains are unable to learn at the same capacity at a later age. But, this is not true, and it is possible for second language learners, or L2, to acquire new languages just like native speakers. 

From performing various tests and assessments on grammar and comprehension, we understand that late acquisition in languages can have similar cognitive effects compared to individuals who acquired two languages early in their childhood (Vega-Mendoza et al., 2015). Numerous studies have shown that second language learners can reach the native speaker level. In comparison to the amount of exposure and practice that many early-acquisition learners have, late-acquisition learners have demonstrated great proficiency despite limited experiences. We can assume that the typical monolingual native speaker is exposed to a language for 8 hours per day with a total of 87,600 hours of exposure by the age of 30 (Dąbrowska et al., 2020). With second language learners, these individuals are typically in the classroom learning for only 2,220 hours, but they have performed with exceptional knowledge of the language. Not only that, there are multilinguals who have performed better than monolinguals on specific assessments like the Elevator Task with Switching (ETS) from the Test of Everyday Attention (TEA) clinical assessment tool. TEA is utilized to better understand the executive functioning of bilinguals, and within the TEA is the ETS that measures attentional switching between high and low pitch tones as cues for directions (Vega-Mendoza et al., 2015). 

These are among several that participants demonstrated they could perform just as well or better than their native speaker participants.

Cognitive outcomes of language learning among different populations

On a biological basis, we have studied numerous neuroimaging studies and concluded “bilinguals did not have higher FA [fractional anisotropy values] than monolinguals after collapsing across all white matter tracts and studies” (John A.E. Anderson et al., 2024). However, when comparing ages, they have shown that when looking into young adults, it was observed that there were higher FA values for bilinguals. It could be suggested that if you are entering young adulthood, this could be a great period for language learning to promote FA. Fractional anisotropy values are studied as an increase in FA values suggests an increase in white matter integrity. The white matter integrity demonstrates brain health and its ability to create more neural connections, crucial for learning new languages. 

Various parts of the brain, such as the corpus callosum, left superior longitudinal fasciculus, and uncinate fasciculus, are all integral components of language learning. Studying the temporal portion of the left superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) has shown us that this region is associated with bilingualism. We have observed the white matter from these regions in combination with age and recognized that bilingualism could have an effect on delaying the onset of dementia. Bilingual individuals and their white matter were studied to reveal their ages, “between 2.31 and 4.65 years younger than expected” (John A.E. Anderson et al., 2024). Regardless of brain health, aging significantly impacts people’s cognitive abilities. Studies have shown that bilingualism has positive effects on healthy adults going through normal cognitive aging as well (Kroll & Dussias, 2017).

Most importantly, there are no negative effects of bilingualism, which means any population may learn additional languages without worrying about cognitive decline or disadvantages (Bak et al., 2014).

Tips on Learning a New Language and Becoming Fluent

Let’s debunk some myths regarding multilingualism and its relation to neuroplasticity. Scientists have researched language learning for decades, and over time, they have collected evidence of the most effective methods for studying languages. 

A common myth is that second language learners, or L2, are unable to acquire a new language like a native speaker. One of the key factors in the successful attainment of a second language among adults is motivation, particularly integrative motivation (Dąbrowska et al., 2020). Integrative motivation is the strong desire to learn a language to become part of a community or culture. Adult language learners all have different reasons as to why they are studying languages, but that particular reason should be something they are passionate about to achieve the best learning outcomes. Consistency and effort are key influencers of multilingualism and maintaining the language. Language learning is no short-term goal to achieve, but rather it takes around 3 months of intensive learning to see anatomical changes from studying a new language (Li et al., 2014). 

Another myth is the neuroplasticity of the brain, making language learning difficult. Though adolescence offers certain advantages to multilingualism and acquisition, our brains are capable of developing over time, even through brain injuries. One research article found that “even when the entire left hemisphere is lost due to perinatal stroke, language can successfully develop in the remaining right hemisphere” (Martin et al., 2022). 

Learning a second language can vary from person to person. Early acquisition and late acquisition can affect people differently; for example, those with higher intelligence will benefit from early acquisition more than those with lower intelligence (Bak et al., 2014). Additionally, acquiring a second language has advantages that early language learners do not have, like a greater impact on inhibitory control, a key component in executive functioning (Bak et al., 2014).

Conclusion

Although this is just the beginning of research on language acquisition and the influence on cognitive abilities, we have already discovered plenty about multilingualism and neuroplasticity. Languages are a powerful way to communicate, offering ways to express and share ideas and cultures. As society learns more about how our brain processes language, the cognitive advantages, and effective methods in acquiring languages, they will become more encouraged to explore new languages, even as an adult. The journey requires determination and perseverance to become successful, but it is never too late to become introduced to a new language. 

References or Sources

Bak, T. H., Nissan, J. J., Allerhand, M. M., & Deary, I. J. (2014). Does bilingualism influence cognitive aging? Annals of Neurology, 75(6), 959–963. https://doi.org/10.1002/ana.24158

Dąbrowska, E., Becker, L., & Miorelli, L. (2020). Is Adult Second Language Acquisition Defective? Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01839

John A.E. Anderson, Asli Yurtsever, Odin Fisher-Skau, Cherep, L. A., MacPhee, I., Luk, G., & Grundy, J. G. (2024). Examining the consistency in bilingualism and white matter research: A meta-analysis. Neuropsychologia, 195, 108801–108801. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2024.108801

Kroll, J. F., & Dussias, P. E. (2017). The Benefits of Multilingualism to the Personal and Professional Development of Residents of the US. Foreign Language Annals, 50(2), 248–259. https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.12271 

Li, P., Legault, J., & Litcofsky, K. A. (2014). Neuroplasticity as a function of second language learning: Anatomical changes in the human brain. Cortex, 58(1), 301–324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2014.05.001

Martin, K. D., Ketchabaw, W. T., & Turkeltaub, P. E. (2022). Plasticity of the language system in children and adults. Handbook of Clinical Neurology, 184, 397–414. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-819410-2.00021-7

Masgoret, A.-M. ., & Gardner, R. C. (2003). Attitudes, Motivation, and Second Language Learning: A Meta-Analysis of Studies Conducted by Gardner and Associates. Language Learning, 53(S1), 167–210.

Vega-Mendoza, M., West, H., Sorace, A., & Bak, T. H. (2015). The impact of late, non-balanced bilingualism on cognitive performance. Cognition, 137, 40–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2014.12.008

Ware, C., Dautricourt, S., Gonneaud, J., & Chételat, G. (2021). Does Second Language Learning Promote Neuroplasticity in Aging? A Systematic Review of Cognitive and Neuroimaging Studies. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2021.706672