介绍： Reams of papers have been published on the cognitive advantages of multilingualism. Beyond the conversational doors it can open, multilingualism is supposed to improve “executive function”, a loose concept that includes the ability to ignore distractions, plan complex tasks and update beliefs as new informa...

介绍： Reams of papers have been published on the cognitive advantages of multilingualism. Beyond the conversational doors it can open, multilingualism is supposed to improve “executive function”, a loose concept that includes the ability to ignore distractions, plan complex tasks and update beliefs as new information arrives. Most striking, numerous studies have even shown that bilinguals undergo a later onset of dementia, perhaps of around four years, on average. But some of these studies have failed to replicate, leaving experts wondering whether the effect is real, and if so, what exactly it consists of.
已经发表了大量关于多语言认知优势的论文。除了它可以打开的对话之门之外，多语言还应该改善“执行功能”，这是一个松散的概念，包括忽略干扰、计划复杂任务和在新信息到来时更新信念的能力。最引人注目的是，许多研究甚至表明，双语者痴呆发作较晚，平均可能约为四年。但其中一些研究未能复制，这让专家们想知道这种效果是否真实，如果是，它究竟由什么组成。
The good news is that it is never too late to start learning a new language, if you want your brain to benefit. A study from 2019 showed that a moderate amount of language learning in adults does not boost things like executive function. But it does mitigate age-related decline.
好消息是，如果你想让你的大脑受益，开始学习一门新语言永远不会太晚。2019 年的一项研究表明，成年人适量的语言学习不会促进执行功能等。但它确实缓解了与年龄相关的衰退。
The biggest benefits seem to come to those who master their second languages fully. That in turn is usually because they have spoken them on a near-daily basis for a long time. A bit of university French does not, unfortunately, convey the same advantages as deep knowledge and long experience. Switching languages frequently in the course of a day (or conversation) may be particularly important. Studies of interpreters and translators have provided some of the strongest evidence for a bilingual advantage. For example they are faster at repeatedly jumping between simple addition and subtraction problems than monolinguals, suggesting generally better cognitive control.
最大的好处似乎来自那些完全掌握第二语言的人。这通常是因为他们几乎每天都说这些话很长一段时间了。不幸的是，一点大学法语并不能传达出与深厚知识和长期经验相同的优势。在一天（或对话）中频繁切换语言可能特别重要。对口译和笔译的研究为双语优势提供了一些最有力的证据。例如，他们比单语者更快地在简单的加法和减法问题之间反复跳跃，这表明他们通常具有更好的认知控制能力。
But elsewhere is “a forest of confounding variables”, says Mark Antoniou of Western Sydney University. The child of diplomats, raised in a foreign language abroad, may have cognitive and educational advantages that have nothing to do with bilingualism. At the other end of the socioeconomic ladder, though, studies have found striking evidence that in poorer parts of the world multilingual people show the strongest advantages from speaking several languages. Where schooling is scant, researchers surmise that bilingualism exercises children’s brains in a way that their schooling might not.
但其他地方是“一片令人困惑的变量森林”，西悉尼大学的 Mark Antoniou 说。在国外用外语长大的外交官的孩子可能具有与双语无关的认知和教育优势。然而，在社会经济阶梯的另一端，研究发现惊人的证据表明，在世界较贫穷的地区，多语种的人表现出说多种语言的最大优势。在学校教育稀少的地方，研究人员推测，双语以一种他们上学可能不会的方式锻炼孩子的大脑。
Age plays a role too. Studies suggest that the effects of languages on the brain are stronger for young children and the old than they are for young adults. Bilingual tots seem to outperform in cognitive development in the early years, but their monolingual classmates may catch up with them later. One meta-analysis on the topic found that 25 studies of 45 found a bilingual advantage in children younger than six, while only 17 found them in children aged 6-12.
年龄也起着一定的作用。研究表明，语言对幼儿和老年人大脑的影响比对年轻人的影响更大。双语孩子在早期的认知发展方面似乎表现出色，但他们的单语同学可能会在以后赶上他们。一项关于该主题的荟萃分析发现，45 项研究中的 25 项研究发现 6 岁以下儿童具有双语优势，而只有 17 项研究在 6-12 岁的儿童中发现了双语优势。
At the other end of life, Ellen Bialystok of the University of York, in Canada, the godmother of the field, has compared the cognitive protection bilingualism offers to that afforded by a slice of holey swiss cheese. Doing other things that are good for the brain, such as exercise, is akin to stacking the slices. Their holes occur in different places, and thus collectively offer greater cognitive protection.
在人生的另一端，加拿大约克大学（University of York）的艾伦·比亚韦斯托克（Ellen Bialystok）是该领域的教母，她将双语提供的认知保护与一片有洞的瑞士奶酪所提供的保护进行了比较。做其他对大脑有益的事情，比如锻炼，类似于堆叠切片。它们的孔出现在不同的地方，因此共同提供了更大的认知保护。
But all these studies take for granted the uncontroversial mental superpower that you get from language study: being able to talk to people you could not have otherwise. Even if you can’t pick your parents and be fluent from birth, that should be more than enough reason to give it a go.
但所有这些研究都认为你从语言学习中获得的无可争议的心理超能力是理所当然的：能够与你无法通过其他方式获得的人交谈。即使你不能选择你的父母并从出生开始流利，那也应该是足够的理由去试一试。