Speaking Another Language Could Keep Your Brain Young

Has your high school French been reduced to ordering a croissant and asking where the bathroom is? 

Perhaps it's time for a refresher. 

Your brain may appreciate the effort.

New research suggests that people who speak multiple languages may have younger brains than people who only speak one.

And the more languages we collect, the more interesting things get.

Researchers also found that the brains of people who spoke four languages appeared to be about 13 years younger than those of monolingual speakers.

Suddenly, remembering all those verb conjugations seems a little more worthwhile.

What Does a "Younger Brain" Mean?

Nobody's brain is literally shaving years off its birthday.

As we age, connections in our brain cells tend to change, which can contribute to declines in things like memory and thinking speed.

Researchers wanted to see whether speaking multiple languages might be associated with those changes.

They first studied 728 people and used a type of brain imaging called magnetoencephalography, or MEG, to measure brain activity.

With the help of artificial intelligence, they used those measurements to create a brain aging clock, showing what typical brain connectivity looks like at different ages.

Then, they put the clock to work.

Four Languages Had the Biggest Difference

The researchers tested their brain aging clock on a separate group of 144 people from Spain's Basque region.

The participants spoke between one and four languages, including different combinations of Spanish, Basque, French, and English.

When researchers compared people's chronological ages with their approximate brain ages, they found:

• Two languages were associated with a brain age around six years younger

• Three languages were associated with a brain age around seven years younger

• Four languages were associated with a brain age around 13 years younger

That's quite a return on all those vocabulary flashcards.

The number of languages wasn't the only thing that seemed to matter, either.

How Well You Speak Matters, Too

People who learned another language earlier and became more proficient in it also tended to show younger estimated brain ages.

Dr. Lucia Amoruso, who presented the research at the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies Forum 2026, said the findings suggest multilingualism isn't simply a matter of being bilingual or not.

Instead, the depth and duration of our experience with another language may matter.

That makes sense when we consider what speaking multiple languages requires from the brain.

We have to remember vocabulary, follow different grammatical rules, switch between languages, and choose the right words while keeping the others tucked away.

So, our brains are doing quite a bit of work before we've even ordered that croissant.

Don't Download Four Language Apps Just Yet

The findings are fascinating, but they don't prove that speaking another language caused people's brains to age more slowly.

Researchers accounted for age, sex, and education, but acknowledged that other differences could also be involved.

Lifestyle, social engagement, and other experiences can affect brain health, too.

Then, there's another limitation worth knowing: the brain-age comparison only included 144 people from one particularly multilingual region.

So, speaking four languages doesn't come with a guaranteed 13-year brain rebate.

Now, the researchers would like to investigate multilingualism in people with neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's disease. 

They also want to study whether different combinations of languages could affect the brain differently.

Is It Too Late to Learn Another Language?

Nobody will confiscate your French textbook if you didn't start at the age of six.

There are plenty of reasons to learn another language at any age, including social, cultural, and maybe even brain-health benefits.

Language learning certainly gives the brain something to do.

And you don't need to emerge fluent in four languages, either.

Take a class. Practice with an app. Watch a familiar show in another language. Dust off the Spanish you haven't used since college.

We can't promise it'll make your brain 13 years younger.

But, if nothing else, you'll finally know whether that high school French teacher was right when she said you'd use this someday.

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