這一集我從 Ted-Ed 的 「The Benefits of a Bilingual Brain」 出發，聊聊雙語／多語大腦是怎麼運作的，以及學語言對大腦和人生有什麼好處。也會分享我自己在中文、台語、英文和西班牙文之間切換的經驗，談談每一種語言如何打開不同的門、影響身份認同，讓我們在世界上多一份選擇。

In this episode, I share some ideas from the Ted-Ed video “The Benefits of a Bilingual Brain” and talk about how bilingual and multilingual brains work. I also share my own experience of using Mandarin, Taiwanese, English, and Spanish, and how different languages open different doors, shape our identity, and give us more choices in life.


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Transcript:
Hey guys, I’m your English teacher, Miss Y! Welcome to the podcast made for intermediate English learners who want to listen to English, and learn about different topics in a fun and easy way.
Today I want to share something that I watched. I was on YouTube and saw a Ted-Ed video called “The benefits of a bilingual brain.” The topic is always my passion, because I’m such a language lover, I always enjoy being able to communicate in different languages. And of course, this topic is super relevant for English learners. So in this episode, I want to share what I learned from the video in a simple way. We’re going to talk about: what it really means to “know” a language, different types of bilinguals, how learning a language as a child or as an adult can affect your brain, and why using more than one language is actually very good exercise for your brain. Lastly, I’ll share some of my own experience as a language learner. Alright, Let’s get into it.
Do you “know” a language? Let me ask you a question: If you can say, “Hello, how are you?” in English, does that mean you know English? Hmm… probably not, right? Language ability is usually divided into four parts: Speaking, Writing, Listening and Reading.
We can also say there are two active skills, active 就是主動的, the two active skills include speaking and writing; and two passive skills, passive 就是被動的, 被動能力, passive skills, which are listening and reading. For example, maybe you can understand English songs or movies (that is your listening skill), and you can read English posts on Instagram (this is reading skill). But speaking is still hard, and writing feels scary. You still know some English, but your skills are not balanced. balanced 就是平衡的. your skills might not be balanced. But guess what? That’s completely normal. A bilingual 我們稱為雙語人士, 會說兩種語言的人. “Bi” means two, for example bicycle, bicycle有兩個輪子. “lingual” originally meant “tongue” 舌頭, and later on the meaning extended to “language” 後來引申為語言的意思. So there is a kind of bilingual, we call them balanced bilingual. A balanced bilingual is someone who is almost equally strong in all four skills in two languages.
But honestly, most bilingual people in the world are not balanced. They use their languages in different ways, in different places, and with different people. Maybe you use Mandarin at home, Taiwanese with your grandparents, and English at work or at school. Each language has its own “zone”, zone 區域, every language has its own “zone” in your life. So when we talk about bilinguals, we’re not talking about “perfect” people who never make mistakes. We’re talking about real people, like you and me, whose languages are strong in some areas and weak in others. And that’s okay.
Three types of bilinguals (meet Gabriella and her family)
To understand bilingual brains, it helps to look at how people learn their languages. Let’s imagine a girl named Cindy. Cindy is from Taiwan, and her family moves to the United States when she is two years old. At home, her parents speak Mandarine Chinese. Outside, at daycare and later at school, everyone speaks English. So little Cindy grows up hearing Chinese and English at the same time. We can call her a compound bilingual. 這是一種bilingual類型. 複合型雙語者 compound bilingual.
That means: She is learning two languages together, and she is learning one idea from the world, but she has two different ways to express them, to express the same idea. For example, she has one concept, concept就是概念, she has one concept of “dog” in her mind, but she has two labels, 他有兩個語言標籤: “狗” in Mandarine Chinese. “dog” in English. She doesn’t really separate them. Both languages grow inside her brain as she learns about the world.
Now, let’s look at her teenage brother. He moves to the U.S. when he’s, say, 14 years old. He already speaks Mandarine Chinese fluently. Then he starts learning English at school: grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing. We can call him a coordinate bilingual. 這是另一種bilingual, 對等型雙語者 coordinate bilingual. That means: He has one set of concepts in Chinese that is used at home, and he is building another set of concepts in English that is used at school. His brain is working with two sets of concepts more separately than his little sister. Finally, what about Cindy’s parents?
They move to the U.S. as adults. At home they use Chinese almost all the time. At work or outside, they have to use English: maybe at the supermarket, at the bank, or with their boss. They might learn English by translating from Chinese in their head. We can call them subordinate bilinguals. 這種類型是從屬型雙語者, subordinate bilinguals. That means: Their main language is Mandarine Chinese. The second language, English, is often filtered through Chinese. For example, when they hear “dog,” their brain might first think “狗,” and then think of the animal.
Now, here’s something important:
Even though these three types of bilinguals learned language in different ways, all of them can become fully proficient, proficient 精通, they can all become proficient in another language.
They might sound a little different, have an accent, 有口音 accent, or they might choose different words, but they can all communicate very well. From the outside, if you just meet them, you might not even notice the difference.
What’s happening inside the brain?
Okay, now let’s go inside the brain. Don’t worry, we’re not going to be super scientific. I’ll keep it simple. So our brain has two halves 有兩辦, called hemispheres: There are Left hemisphere and Right hemisphere. In general: The left side is more logical 邏輯性的 and analytical 分析性的. It helps with structure, rules, and details. The right side is more emotional 情緒的 and social 社會性的. It helps with feelings, tone, and context. This is not a 100% clear line, but it’s a helpful way to think about it. Language uses both sides: You need structure and grammar You also need emotion, attitude, and social feeling. Here comes an important idea called the critical period hypothesis. 關鍵期假說. hypothesis 就是假說 一個理論. This hypothesis says: When we are children, our brains are more plastic – more flexible and changeable. Because of this, children can use both hemispheres more easily for language learning. As we grow older, language ability tends to move more to one side of the brain, usually the left half of the brain. So if a child learns a new language early, their brain might connect that language to both halves – the logical half and the emotional half. They might have a deeper “feel” for the language. For adults, language is usually more focused in one hemisphere, so the process can feel harder and slower. But this does not mean adults can’t learn languages. It just means the brain is working in a different way. Child learners vs. adult learners: different superpowers
Let’s compare two people: A child who learns a second language early and an adult who learns a second language later. The child might get more natural pronunciation, and pick up slang and expressions easily, slang 一些流行語, they learn slang easily; and also they understand social feelings in the language more intuitively 更直覺性的, intuitive 直覺的, understand the social part of the language intuitively. It almost feels like the language becomes a natural part of their identity. identity 身份認同. The adult might: think more carefully about grammar rules, translate in their head at the beginning, and feel that speaking is “less emotional” in the second language. In fact, some research shows something very interesting:
When adults make decisions in their second language, 第二語言, 或第二外語, they sometimes become more rational, rational 理性的, they are more rational and less emotional when thinking in the second language. They might think more logically and feel less emotional bias, bias 偏見, they feel less emotional bias in the second language than in their native language. For example, imagine you have a difficult choice, and you read the problem in English instead of Mandarin. You might feel a little more distance from the emotion, and that can help you think more clearly. So both groups have different strengths: Child learners are more natural, emotional, instinctive. Adult learners are more rational, careful, and conscious 有意識的. conscious. And both ways of learning are equally valuable.
Now for one of my favorite parts:
If you are bilingual or learning another language, your brain may actually look different. Researchers using brain imaging have found that bilingual people often have higher grey matter density, density 密度, they have higher grey matter density in certain areas, and there are more activity in some regions when using the second language
Grey matter 灰質區, 是什麼呢? It’s the part of the brain that has many of your neurons 神經元 and synapses 突觸 – which are the cells and connections that process information. So if your grey matter density is higher, your brain works more efficiently when you learn, think or process information from the outside world. So when you use more than one language, it’s like giving your brain a workout. You know how lifting weights can strengthen your muscles? lifting weights 重訓, lifting weights can strengthen your muscles, right? In a similar way, switching between languages is like your brain lifting mental weights. 好像在重訓你的大腦. And there’s more. Studies suggest that bilingualism can help delay the onset of brain diseases like Alzheimer’s 阿茲罕默症 and dementia 失智症 by up to five years. This doesn’t mean bilingual people will never get these diseases, of course. But it means their brains may stay healthy and active longer. Language learning is not just about communication; it is also a long-term investment in your brain health.
“But I heard bilingualism is bad for kids…” You might think, “Wait, I remember hearing that kids get confused if they learn two languages.”
For many years, especially before the 1960s, some experts believed that bilingual children were at a disadvantage. 他們有劣勢, at a disadvantage, 處在劣勢的環境.
Before the 1960s, scientists thought children would become slower because their brains were always busy choosing the right language. Parents were told, “Don’t confuse your child. Just use one language.” But later, researchers discovered that many of those old studies were flawed. 有錯誤的. They were flawed. The methods were not good, and the results were not reliable. When better research was done, the picture changed. Yes, sometimes bilinguals may react more slowly in certain tests, especially when they have to switch between languages quickly. That is because their brain is doing extra work: “Use English here? Or Mandarin? Which word is better?” But this extra effort is actually a kind of training. Think of it like this: If you always take the elevator, you might walk stairs more slowly. But if you always use the stairs, your legs become stronger. In the same way, switching between languages, switching 轉換, switching between languages makes your brain’s “control center” stronger over time.
The brain’s control center is your superpower.
There is a part of the brain called the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The name is long and difficult, so let’s just call it the control center of your brain. This area helps with Planning, Problem solving, Switching between tasks, and Focusing on what is important and ignoring what is not. When bilingual people constantly choose between languages, like – “Should I say this in English or Mandarin?” – their control center gets a lot of practice. Some research shows that when bilinguals switch languages, this area becomes more active. And just like a muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it can become. So the small “slowdowns” or extra effort in certain tests are not a bad thing. They are signs that the brain is doing complex work: When it is controlling attention, blocking the wrong word in the wrong language, or selecting the right word quickly. All of this may help bilinguals in other areas of life too, such as multitasking or staying focused in noisy environments.
Does being bilingual make you “smarter”? This is a tricky question. Does bilingualism automatically make you a genius? No, not exactly. But it does make your brain more active, More flexible, More complex, And possibly more resilient to aging. resilient 就是更有抵抗性, aging 就是老化. Your brain can be more resilient to aging, it means your brain can get old more slowly. So instead of saying, “Being bilingual makes you smarter,” it might be better to say, “Being bilingual keeps your brain in better shape.” Like regular exercise for your body, regular mental exercise through language use helps your brain stay fit. So, let’s bring this back to you. Maybe you started learning English in school in Taiwan. Maybe you feel shy when you speak, or you think, “My English is not good enough.” But from your brain’s point of view, something powerful is already happening. Every time you Try to remember a word, Switch from Mandarin thinking to English thinking, Listen to an English podcast, or even Read an article or watch a YouTube video in English, You are training your brain’s control center, building more connections, and giving your grey matter a workout. And it doesn’t matter if You didn’t learn English as a child or You started in junior high, senior high, or even as an adult
It is never too late for your brain to benefit from a new language. You might not sound like a native speaker, and that’s completely fine. In my point of view, accent is not a problem; it tells a story. A story of you. It shows where you come from and what languages you carry inside you. It is beautiful.
I really enjoy being bilingual, or even multilingual. bilingual means speaking two languages, and multilingual mean speaking more than two languages. Multi這個字跟有“多”的意思, 像是multimedia就是多媒體。So I like being multilingual. For me, speaking a foreign language is like opening a door and discovering another world. Every time I learn a new language, I feel like I’m opening a different door. This is very exciting for me, and this is why I want to share this feeling with you, with my podcast, to show you the world. Also, when you consciously choose which language to speak, you are actually choosing how you want to show yourself, just like putting on different clothes in different occasions. I like having this power to choose. For example, when I talk to my grandma, I choose Taiwanese, even thought my Taiwanese is not that good. But I want to feel closer to my grandma and to the place where I was born. When I am with people from different countries, I choose English, because English is one of the most common languages in the world and it lets us communicate smoothly among people from different backgrounds. When I travel abroad and I know the local language, I try to use it. For instance, when I traveled in South America, I chose to speak Spanish. My Spanish is not perfect but it helped me get closer to the local people and showed that I respect and love their culture. Every language you speak gives you more choices in how you connect with others and with the world.
Final thoughts
So, what can we take away from all of this? First, if you use more than one language in your life, even at a basic level, you are already part of the bilingual and multilingual majority in the world. That’s something to feel proud of.
Second, there are different types of bilinguals: Some grew up with two languages from childhood. Some learned a second language in school as teenagers. Some started as adults. All of them can become strong language users. The path is just different. Third, language learning is not only about exams, TOEIC scores, or perfect grammar. It is also about your brain health, your thinking style, and how you understand emotions and social situations. Finally, it is never too late. Even if you didn’t learn English as a child, every new word you learn now is still helping your brain. You are giving yourself a long-term gift. So next time you feel tired of memorizing vocabulary or frustrated about grammar, remember this: You’re not just studying for a test.
You’re training your brain to be healthier, more flexible, and more powerful.
And every time you move from “Hello” to “Hi, let me tell you about this interesting topic,” you’re taking another step on your bilingual journey. Alright, that’s it for today’s episode, inspired by the Ted-Ed video “The benefits of a bilingual brain” and also by my own language-learning experience. Thanks for staying with me all the way to the end. If you’re listening to this in English right now, your bilingual brain is already doing something amazing.
I’m Miss Y, and I hope you enjoyed learning English with me. If you liked this episode, come back next time for another fun 15 to 20 minutes of simple, clear English and a brand-new topic to explore. Stay curious, Learn the World in simple English with Miss Y, I’ll talk to you again soon.