The Bilingual Brain

And What It Tells Us about the Science of Language

By: Albert Costa

Narrated by: Luis Soto

Brought to you by Penguin.

How do two languages co-exist in the same brain?
Why is it possible to forget a language?
What are the advantages and challenges of being bilingual?

Over half of the world's population is bilingual and yet this fascinating, complex ability is understood by few. In The Bilingual Brain, leading expert Albert Costa explores the science of language through a wide range of cutting-edge studies and examples from South Korea to Spain and Canada. Looking at the development of the brain from infancy to old age, Costa shows us the impact of bilingualism on everyday life: from a bilingual's ability to multitask and make decisions to the way in which they interact with those around them.

An absorbing examination of an extraordinary skill, The Bilingual Brain leaves us all with a sense of wonder at how language works.

© Albert Costa 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

Brains make language and language makes brains

Not surprisingly, considering the title, this book is heavy on neuroscience, which may be too heavy a lift for people looking for a more casual overview of the effects of multilingualism on cognitive development. That aside, I found it to be a coherent overview of the state of research in the study of bilingualism. Costa is a scientist, which means that he is both passionate about his research but also careful not to claim too much. Does being multilingual preserve one's cognitive abilities deeper into old age? The studies are promising, but Costa is careful to acknowledge the criticisms that this may a case of the cart before the horse. Perhaps high intelligence is the contributing factor to greater cognitive reserve and multilingualism simply coincidental with it. I esteem him more for his intellectual humility.

The book is full of interesting anecdotes about the effects of multilingualism, such being able to think more rationally in a second language and more able to express emotion in one's native language. The theory of mind comes into play, with multilinguals better able to understand the intentions of others, an attribute that contributes significantly to social and economic success.

I was a little put off by the narrator's clipped British accent, but found that mitigated by his excellent pronunciation of the many different languages required by the narration. A marvelous talent.

The plasticity of the brain is a fascinating subject and more and more research is revealing that like your body, you can change it with exercise and practice. Learning additional languages goes a long way to maximizing one's potential.

Perfecto!

Me interesan los idiomas, y sobre todo el bilingüilismo en los niños pequeños, es por eso que he decidido darle una escucha a este libro que he encontrado sumamente fascinante.

Me ha dado mucha luz en el asunto.

Thorough Study on the Bilingual Brain

Loved this book! So much good information and it was not all scientific! Lots of common sense!

It was okay

This book was a bit underwhelming if I'll be honest, as it is largely focused on either case studies, or very well-known concepts related to bilingualism (e.g., some studies showing benefits for multitasking, slower lexical retrieval, protective effects against dementia, etc.). This would be a better fit for someone who has never had any contact with language research at all