Nine Unique Traits That Bilinguals Possess

More than half of the world's population is bilingual. According to various estimates, from 60 to 75% of people speak at least two languages. An additional language is not just a means of communication. Research shows that such people experience a range of social, psychological, lifestyle and cognitive benefits. People who grow up bilingual have some enviable characteristics, and the publication Hack Spirit told what.

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1. They are better at problem solving and thinking because of their improved cognitive skills.

Our minds are like putty. Instead of correcting, we are constantly sculpting.

And bilingual people have become experts in this matter.

They are constantly shifting their flexible mind from one mode to another. And this gives them incredible executive functions.

We're talking about things like:

• multitasking;
• problem solving;
• thinking skills;
• memory;
• concentration;
• focus;
• logics;
• making decisions.

When you learn two languages ​​and regularly switch from one to the other, you constantly refer to these skills.

Therefore, it is logical that they are much more developed in bilingual people who rely on them on a daily basis.

That is why they have super-powerful brains.

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2. They study well

Perhaps due to increased brain activity, bilingual people become smarter in some aspects.

After all, studies show that bilingual children have an advantage in learning compared to children who speak only one language.

One experiment in 1962 showed that they did better on both verbal and non-verbal intelligence tests.

These learning benefits are believed to be due to the ability to develop more flexible thinking.

Recent studies show that bilingual people are better at weeding out irrelevant information, which is conducive to learning.

When you already know more than one language, it's easier to learn new ones.

3. They are more successful

You don't have to look far to see why being bilingual can make you more successful and even richer.

Bilingual children often have an advantage and do better in school and perform better on assignments. In addition, their cognitive abilities increase. And, of course, speaking a second language is also a useful practical tool in the modern labor market.

Perhaps this is why bilingual people can earn 5%-20% more per hour.

Moreover, the financial benefit of knowing a second language is estimated to be $128 over 000 years.

In an increasingly global world, this figure is likely to continue to rise.

4. They have more empathy

So far, we have mainly focused on the cognitive benefits that bilingualism provides.

However, there are also many social priorities.

One of them is greater empathy and sensitivity. In particular, in relation to different people and other sectors of society.

Strong empathy skills have been shown to:

• help build better relationships;
• promote altruistic behavior;
• promote understanding of other people;
• allow you to regulate your own feelings.

Why are bilingual people better at putting themselves in other people's shoes?

Remember how we said that they are able to isolate themselves from certain information, and this helps them learn?

So, it is believed that they are better able to isolate themselves from their own feelings and beliefs in order to focus more on others.

One review, which looked at all the available research on the subject, found that speaking more than one language increases the ability to predict, understand, and understand other people's mental states.

Perhaps the whole point is that a person learns to see the world from several points of view.

5. They are more open

Perceiving the world through two different languages ​​allows you to look at it differently.

Bilingual people may have more diverse thinking and even adapt depending on what language they speak.

Research shows that depending on what language people speak at one time or another, they can have completely different personalities.

Perhaps it is about allowing different sides of yourself to shine through. But in research this phenomenon of “split personality” is noted quite clearly.

An experiment in the 1960s showed that Japanese-English bilingual women completed the same sentence in completely different ways depending on which language they spoke.

For example, when answering in Japanese, the sentence "When my desires come into conflict with my family..." was completed as "it is a time of great misfortune". But in English they replied: “I do what I want.”

Likewise, “True friends should...” in Japanese ended up as “help each other,” but in English it ended up as “be frank.”

It seems that bilingual people are capable of having two different ways of thinking.

6. They are more tolerant

Knowing two languages ​​broadens one's horizons.

Perhaps you travel more. Perhaps you have a better understanding of different cultures.

Either way, you are able to see things from a more diverse perspective. It makes sense that being open and understanding other people makes you more tolerant.

Intercultural understanding is sure to lead to greater acceptance and tolerance when it comes to differences.

7. They are more attractive

There are hardly any people who disagree with this: speaking several languages ​​is sexy.

According to one study, 75% of people find it attractive when a person speaks several languages.

Moreover, 96% of respondents answered that it is more attractive than having an athletic body.

So, when someone speaks a different language, it is clearly sexual.

Fair enough, considering that this indicates increased brain function and greater social awareness.

But people who score higher on empathy often:

• turn out to be the best conversationalists;
• they can read the situation more accurately;
• more popular.

In essence, bilingual people's knowledge that other people's beliefs, desires, intentions, emotions, and thoughts may be different from their own makes them more likeable.

8. They develop and age better

Yes, it's true, speaking two languages ​​even affects your overall health.

Research has revealed some potentially surprising benefits, including:

• delayed development of dementia;
• protection after traumatic brain injury.

The thought is that bilinguals have more gray matter and more neural pathways. And they can use them at the right moment.

It's a kind of cognitive reserve that others don't have. When they have brain problems, they may resort to this.

A recent study showed that bilinguals can slow brain damage.

Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease appear in them four to five years later than in monolinguals with the same pathology.

At the same time, another study of 600 stroke survivors found that bilinguals were twice as likely to recover cognitive function than monolinguals.

That's why being fluent in two languages ​​is thought to be good for mental health.

9. They are creative

Sometimes we misunderstand what creativity is.

In our opinion, this means that you are good at drawing, playing music, writing or dancing. That is, what we consider a “creative” form of art.

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But it is a much more fundamental concept.

It's about coming up with new ideas.

It's just ingenuity that can be applied to many different areas of life.

Our ability to be creative depends on how well our brains put together seemingly unrelated parts.

When you are bilingual, you have more of these details.

This is why bilingual people perform better on many creative and divergent thinking tasks.

Their brains are better equipped to create new connections.

Why is it important to speak multiple languages?

Speaking another language not only gives you access to a different vocabulary.

It opens up a whole new world for you.

You see things differently, understand things and other people differently, and it makes your whole brain work differently.

As a result, you have additional sensitivity and skills that can give you an edge in life.

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