Learning foreign languages slows brain ageing, study presented at FENS Forum 2026 finds

A study presented at the FENS Forum 2026 found that the brains of people who speak more than one language age more slowly. The protective effect depends not only on the number of languages known, but also on the level of proficiency and the length of exposure to a foreign language. The greater the intensity and duration of language use, the stronger the benefit for the brain.