A new large-scale study has found that speaking multiple languages may play a crucial role in slowing brain ageing and reducing the risk of cognitive decline. The research, published in Nature Aging on November 10, analyzed data from more than 80,000 participants and discovered that multilingual individuals are about half as likely to show signs of accelerated biological ageing compared to those who speak only one language.
According to co-author Agustín Ibáñez, a neuroscientist at Adolfo Ibáñez University in Santiago, Chile, the study sought to answer a long-standing question in aging research: whether multilingualism can actually delay the biological processes of aging. Previous studies have hinted at such benefits, showing that people who speak multiple languages tend to perform better in memory, attention, and problem-solving tasks — all key indicators of cognitive health. However, those earlier studies often suffered from small sample sizes and inconsistent methods, making it difficult to draw reliable conclusions.
“The effects of multilingualism on ageing have always been debated,” said Christos Pliatsikas, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom. “But this study, due to its scale and methodological rigor, offers some of the clearest evidence yet that speaking more than one language has a measurable, protective effect on brain health.” He added that these findings could mark a turning point for research in cognitive ageing.
The results also suggest that language learning may be one of the most accessible tools for preserving mental sharpness later in life. “This could encourage people to not only learn a second language but to keep using it actively,” said Susan Teubner-Rhodes, a cognitive psychologist at Auburn University in Alabama.
To uncover the relationship between language ability and aging, researchers analyzed data from 86,000 healthy individuals aged 51 to 90, across 27 European countries. Using computational modeling, they measured what they called the “biobehavioral age gap” — the difference between a person’s chronological age (how many years they’ve lived) and their predicted biological age, which is influenced by health, lifestyle, and socioeconomic factors such as heart function, physical activity, and education level.
A smaller biobehavioral age gap indicates that a person’s biological systems are functioning younger than their chronological age would suggest, while a larger gap signals accelerated aging. The team then compared these gaps with the number of languages each participant reported speaking.
The findings were striking. Monolingual participants — those who spoke only one language — were twice as likely to show signs of accelerated ageing compared to multilingual participants. Moreover, the benefit appeared to increase with the number of languages spoken. “Even speaking one additional language can significantly reduce the risk of faster biological ageing,” explained Ibáñez. “And for those who speak two or three extra languages, the protective effect becomes even stronger.”
Teubner-Rhodes emphasized the importance of the study’s scale and diversity. “This is one of the most comprehensive analyses of its kind,” she said. “By including participants from a wide range of European regions and controlling for confounding factors like immigration status and wealth, the study provides more convincing evidence that multilingualism itself — not just social or economic advantages — contributes to healthier ageing.”
Still, the researchers acknowledge that there is more to learn. They note that their data relied on self-reported language proficiency, which means they could not measure how fluent each participant was in the languages they spoke. Future studies, they suggest, should include more diverse populations beyond Europe and use standardized methods to assess language ability more precisely.
The implications of the study extend beyond individual health. The researchers hope their findings will inspire policymakers and educators to promote language learning from an early age — not only as a tool for cultural exchange and communication but as an investment in lifelong brain health.
Learning a new language has long been celebrated for opening minds and connecting cultures. Now, it appears it may also help preserve those minds for longer.
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