Which is so impressive to me.

這讓我印象深刻。

Sadly, I only speak one language, but I am working hard to learn Spanish with Duolingo, who is today's sponsor.

遺憾的是，我只會說一門語言，但我正在努力通過 Duolingo 學習西班牙語，它是今天的贊助商。

More on them later.

稍後再詳細介紹。

But what if I told you being bilingual or even becoming bilingual at an older age isn't just impressive, but a brain-changing superpower that could not only increase your mental abilities, but also slow the aging of your brain and potentially even prevent disease.

但是，如果我告訴你，在年老時掌握雙語甚至成為雙語者，不僅令人印象深刻，而且是一種改變大腦的超級能力，不僅能提高你的智力，還能延緩大腦衰老，甚至有可能預防疾病，你會怎麼想呢？

Let's start with a simple example.

讓我們從一個簡單的例子開始。

What do you see?

你看到了什麼？

Chances are you see a rabbit or a duck.

你有可能看到一隻兔子或鴨子。

A lot of people are actually able to see both, but not at the same time.

實際上，很多人都能同時看到這兩點，但不是同時。

Your brain actually has to switch back and forth between the two.

實際上，你的大腦必須在兩者之間來回切換。

These are called ambiguous figures.

這些數字被稱為模糊數字。

And it turns out children that grow up bilingual can switch back and forth between the figures much faster.

事實證明，從小學習雙語的孩子能更快地在兩種語言之間來回切換。

Likely because their brains are more adept at switching back and forth between languages.

這可能是因為他們的大腦更善於在不同語言之間來回切換。

But learning a second language can also improve your memory.

不過，學習第二語言也能提高記憶力。

Studies on both children and adults into their 80s found that bilinguals almost always outperform monolinguals with working memory tasks, like being able to remember more pictures, objects, or numbers.

對兒童和 80 多歲的成年人進行的研究發現，在工作記憶任務方面，雙語者幾乎總是優於單語者，比如能記住更多的圖片、物體或數字。

In fact, one study that looked at elderly bilinguals between 60 to 80 years old found that those who learned a second language later in life actually had an even greater advantage with memory tasks, highlighting that it's never too late to start.

事實上，一項對 60 至 80 歲的老年雙語者進行的研究發現，那些在晚年才學習第二語言的人在記憶任務中的優勢更大，這突出表明，任何時候開始都不晚。

Even more significant, this same study found that bilingualism can minimize or delay natural memory degradation often caused by aging, which is huge.

更重要的是，同一項研究還發現，雙語可以最大限度地減少或延緩因衰老而導致的自然記憶衰退，這一點非常重要。

And we'll dive into that more a little later.

稍後我們將對此進行深入探討。

Apart from memory, a second language can actually improve your problem-solving skills.

除了記憶力，第二語言實際上還能提高你解決問題的能力。

Take a look at row A and B and tell me as quickly as possible if the very middle arrows in each row are pointing in the same or opposite directions.

看看 A 行和 B 行，儘快告訴我每行最中間的箭頭是指向同一個方向還是相反的方向。

Bilinguals are able to make this decision and react more quickly.

雙語者能夠更快地做出這種決定和反應。

Now, what word is this?

現在，這是什麼詞？

And what color is this?

這是什麼顏色？

Pretty easy.

很簡單

Now I'm gonna rapidly switch between asking you for either the written word or the color, and you say which it is as fast as possible.

現在，我會快速切換要求你說出文字或顏色，你要以最快的速度說出是哪個。

What word is this?

這是什麼詞？

What color is this?

這是什麼顏色？

Word.

字。

Word.

字。

Color.

顏色

Color.

顏色

Color.

顏色

Word.

字。

Even into old age, bilinguals demonstrate much faster reaction times.

即使到了老年，雙語者的反應速度也要快得多。

Brain scans even show that the anterior cingulate cortex, which is often associated with attention, decision-making, and impulse control, is more efficient in bilinguals, making them better at suppressing irrelevant information and focusing on a given task.

大腦掃描甚至顯示，通常與注意力、決策和衝動控制有關的前扣帶回皮層在雙語者中更有效率，使他們更善於抑制無關資訊，專注於特定任務。

Speaking of focus, if I start to talk to you but insert some distracting sounds and noises in the background so that it's a little harder to hear or understand me, bilinguals are actually better at tuning out this noise and ultimately suppressing the irrelevant information.

說到集中注意力，如果我開始跟你說話，但在背景中插入一些干擾的聲音和噪音，讓你更難聽清或聽懂我的話，雙語者實際上更善於屏蔽這些噪音，並最終抑制無關資訊。

But the benefits of bilingualism only get more shocking, and you can start your journey towards them with today's sponsor, Duolingo, who I'm super happy is supporting this video because I'm a huge fan and a user myself.

但是，雙語的好處只會越來越令人震驚，你可以通過今天的贊助商 Duolingo 開始你的雙語之旅，我非常高興 Duolingo 能夠支持本視頻，因為我自己就是它的忠實粉絲和用戶。

Learning a new language is extremely daunting, but Duolingo has cracked the code by making the experience like a game so it doesn't feel like a chore and helps you make it a routine, which is the number one factor to becoming bilingual.

學習一門新的語言是一件非常令人生畏的事情，但 Duolingo 已經破解了這一難題，它將學習體驗變得像遊戲一樣，讓你不再覺得學習是一件苦差事，並幫助你將學習變成一種習慣，而這正是成為雙語者的首要因素。

I've been using Duolingo to learn Spanish.

我一直在使用 Duolingo 學習西班牙語。

My longest streak is 115 days in a row, which I know is probably nothing to some of you, but I am super proud of it.

我最長的連勝紀錄是連續 115 天，我知道這對你們中的一些人來說可能不算什麼，但我為此感到非常自豪。

And I'm currently working through section three, learning how to describe activities.

目前我正在學習第三部分，學習如何描述活動。

No entendemos esta clase.

No entendemos esta clase.

No entendemos esta clase.

No entendemos esta clase.

Ooh, love that sound.

哦，我喜歡這聲音。

The competitive leaderboards keep me coming back, like right now I'm in the Pearl League and I do not wanna drop out.

競爭激烈的排行榜讓我流連忘返，比如現在我正在參加珍珠聯賽，我不想退出。

And I also love when I get to team up with Greg or other friends and complete challenges together.

我還喜歡和格雷格或其他朋友組隊，一起完成挑戰。

But don't be deceived by the fun design.

但千萬不要被其有趣的設計所迷惑。

Duolingo uses research-backed teaching methods that have been tested for decades, and it prepares you for real conversations with reading, writing, listening, and speaking practice.

Duolingo 採用的教學方法經過數十年的研究驗證，通過閱讀、寫作、聽力和口語練習，讓你為真正的會話做好準備。

After four to six weeks using Duolingo, eight out of 10 learners can start a conversation.

在使用 Duolingo 四到六週後，10 個學習者中有 8 個可以開始對話。

You can learn five semesters worth of language instruction in five sections on Duolingo.

您可以在 Duolingo 上通過五個部分學習五個學期的語言教學內容。

I love the lesson length too, because it allows you to learn on the go, anywhere, anytime.

我也喜歡這種課時長度，因為它可以讓你隨時隨地學習。

It's honestly been a game changer for me in terms of keeping up the habit and getting me closer to the many benefits of bilingualism.

老實說，它改變了我的生活方式，讓我保持了這種習慣，也讓我更接近雙語的諸多益處。

So a huge thanks again to Duolingo for supporting this episode and our channel.

再次衷心感謝 Duolingo 對本期節目和我們頻道的支持。

And now back to more of the amazing benefits of learning another language.

現在，我們再來談談學習另一種語言的更多好處。

Wanna be more creative?

想要更有創意？

One study took 150 people and tested their performance on creativity.

一項研究選取了 150 人，測試他們在創造力方面的表現。

They used standard written exercises to evaluate each individual's ability to create solutions to unique problems while encouraging them to use their imagination.

他們使用標準的書面練習來評估每個人創造解決獨特問題的方案的能力，同時鼓勵他們發揮想象力。

And while monolinguals typically had an advantage with verbal exercises due to having more first language vocabulary, bilinguals were more creative with non-verbal solutions, likely because they perceived the world from a wide range of perspectives, which may promote novel and creative ways of problem solving.

由於母語詞彙量較多，單語學生通常在口頭練習方面更具優勢，而雙語學生在非口頭解決方案方面更具創造性，這可能是因為他們從廣泛的角度認識世界，這可能會促進新穎和創造性的問題解決方式。

And many other studies have found similar results showing that bilingualism and creativity are positively correlated, regardless of age, race, or gender.

許多其他研究也發現了類似的結果，表明無論年齡、種族或性別如何，雙語和創造力都是正相關的。

Bilinguals are better at both divergent thinking and convergent thinking, and show stronger cognitive inhibition and cognitive flexibility.

雙語者在發散思維和聚合思維方面都更勝一籌，並表現出更強的認知抑制能力和認知靈活性。

This creative advantage has even been shown in fields such as math, where bilingualism seems to affect flexibility in problem solving and promotes a more robust development of creative thinking.

這種創造性優勢甚至在數學等領域也有所體現，雙語似乎會影響解決問題的靈活性，促進創造性思維的更有力發展。

Now, if you've ever worried that teaching young kids multiple languages can slow them down, most research actually shows the opposite.

現在，如果你曾擔心過教年幼的孩子學習多國語言會拖慢他們的學習進度，大多數研究實際上表明情況恰恰相反。

While some language milestones may show delay, the child is doing double the work after all, ultimately learning a second language helps children to better understand the grammar of their first language and does not negatively impact their first language proficiency.

雖然某些語言里程碑可能會出現延遲，但孩子畢竟是在做雙倍的工作，學習第二語言最終會幫助孩子更好地理解第一語言的文法，而且不會對他們的第一語言能力產生負面影響。

Not only that, but second language learners also show advantages when it comes to learning math and understanding mathematical concepts.

不僅如此，第二語言學習者在學習數學和理解數學概念方面也顯示出優勢。

They even show enhanced spelling and superior reading comprehension.

他們甚至表現出更強的拼寫能力和卓越的閱讀理解能力。

In fact, immersion program students have matched or better academic achievement compared to their monolingual peers overall.

事實上，沉浸式課程學生的學業成績與單語學生的總體成績相當，甚至更好。

But perhaps one of the most profound discoveries in recent years is that bilingualism may actually delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease, a form of dementia that involves memory loss and other cognitive disabilities.

不過，近年來最深刻的發現之一或許是，雙語實際上可能會延緩阿爾茨海默病的發病，阿爾茨海默病是一種老年痴呆症，會導致記憶力減退和其他認知障礙。

In fact, studies have found that Alzheimer's onset is around four to five years later in bilingual patients compared to monolinguals, regardless of sex, lifestyle, education, or occupation.

事實上，研究發現，無論性別、生活方式、教育程度或職業如何，與單語患者相比，雙語患者的阿爾茨海默氏症發病時間要晚四到五年左右。

But even for those who won't end up suffering from dementia, you can still expect your brain to slow as you age from brain atrophy and the loss of synaptic connections.

但是，即使對於那些最終不會患上痴呆症的人來說，隨著年齡的增長，腦萎縮和突觸連接的喪失也會導致大腦功能減退。

But learning a second language can play an important role in this too.

但是，學習第二語言也能在其中發揮重要作用。

Some scientists are now suggesting we promote language learning programs for older populations because it engages brain networks that overlap with regions negatively affected by aging.

現在，一些科學家建議我們推廣針對老年人群的語言學習計劃，因為語言學習可以調動與受衰老負面影響區域重疊的大腦網絡。

This touches on a concept known as cognitive reserves.

這就涉及到一個概念，即認知儲備。

The idea that over our life, we develop this reserve of thinking abilities.

在我們的一生中，我們都在發展這種思維能力儲備。

The bigger that reserve, the more aging or disease it takes to break down our capacity.

儲備越大，衰老或疾病就越能削弱我們的能力。

In other words, if you build lots of neuronal connections in your brain through your life, losing some from aging won't impact you as severely or as soon.

換句話說，如果你一生中在大腦中建立了大量的神經元連接，那麼因衰老而失去一些神經元連接對你的影響就不會那麼嚴重或那麼快。

Bilingual people have even been shown to recover better after a stroke.

甚至有研究表明，雙語者在中風後恢復得更好。

Of course, learning anything new can impact resilience or cognitive reserve, but language learning seems to be particularly special in this regard.

當然，學習任何新知識都會影響復原力或認知儲備，但語言學習在這方面似乎尤為特殊。

At the end of the day, not only does learning another language connect you with other cultures, improve your economic outcomes, and let you see the world with a different perspective, it's an incredible way to actually stimulate and challenge your brain with a ton of real benefits that will last a lifetime.

歸根結底，學習另一種語言不僅能讓你與其他文化產生聯繫，提高你的經濟效益，讓你以不同的視角看世界，它還是一種刺激和挑戰你的大腦的不可思議的方式，能給你帶來終生受益的大量實實在在的好處。

If you wanna add me on Duolingo as a friend, my username is at asapsciencemitch, where we can tackle learning another language together.

如果你想在 Duolingo 上加我為好友，我的用戶名是 asapsciencemitch，我們可以一起學習另一種語言。

I hope to call myself fluent in Spanish one day, if not more languages.

我希望有一天自己能說一口流利的西班牙語，甚至更多的語言。

I'm curious where you're at in your second or third or fourth language journey.

我很好奇，你的第二、第三或第四語言之旅進展如何？

Feel free to leave a comment below on your experience with language learning in Duolingo, and we'll see you ASAP for some more science.

歡迎在下方評論您在 Duolingo 上學習語言的經歷，我們將盡快為您提供更多科學知識。

Peace.

和平。