– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

¿Hablas español? Parlez-vous français? 你会说中文吗？

If you answered, "sí," "oui," or "会" and you're watching this in English,

chances are you belong to the world's bilingual and multilingual majority.

And besides having an easier time traveling

or watching movies without subtitles,

knowing two or more languages means that your brain

may actually look and work differently than those of your monolingual friends.

So what does it really mean to know a language?

Language ability is typically measured in two active parts, speaking and writing,

and two passive parts, listening and reading.

While a balanced bilingual has near equal

abilities across the board in two languages,

most bilinguals around the world know and use their languages

in varying proportions.

And depending on their situation and how they acquired each language,

they can be classified into three general types.

For example, let's take Gabriella,

whose family immigrates to the US from Peru when she's two-years old.

As a compound bilingual,

Gabriella develops two linguistic codes simultaneously,

with a single set of concepts,

learning both English and Spanish

as she begins to process the world around her.

Her teenage brother, on the other hand, might be a coordinate bilingual,

working with two sets of concepts,

learning English in school,

while continuing to speak Spanish at home and with friends.

Finally, Gabriella's parents are likely to be subordinate bilinguals

who learn a secondary language

by filtering it through their primary language.

Because all types of bilingual people can become fully proficient in a language

regardless of accent or pronunciation,

the difference may not be apparent to a casual observer.

But recent advances in brain imaging technology

have given neurolinguists a glimpse

into how specific aspects of language learning affect the bilingual brain.

It's well known that the brain's left hemisphere is more dominant

and analytical in logical processes,

while the right hemisphere is more active in emotional and social ones,

though this is a matter of degree, not an absolute split.

The fact that language involves both types of functions

while lateralization develops gradually with age,

has lead to the critical period hypothesis.

According to this theory,

children learn languages more easily

because the plasticity of their developing brains

lets them use both hemispheres in language acquisition,

while in most adults, language is lateralized to one hemisphere,

usually the left.

If this is true, learning a language in childhood

may give you a more holistic grasp of its social and emotional contexts.

Conversely, recent research showed

that people who learned a second language in adulthood

exhibit less emotional bias and a more rational approach

when confronting problems in the second language

than in their native one.

But regardless of when you acquire additional languages,

being multilingual gives your brain some remarkable advantages.

Some of these are even visible,

such as higher density of the grey matter

that contains most of your brain's neurons and synapses,

and more activity in certain regions when engaging a second language.

The heightened workout a bilingual brain receives throughout its life

can also help delay the onset of diseases, like Alzheimer's and dementia

by as much as five years.

The idea of major cognitive benefits to bilingualism

may seem intuitive now,

but it would have surprised earlier experts.

Before the 1960s, bilingualism was considered a handicap

that slowed a child's development

by forcing them to spend too much energy distinguishing between languages,

a view based largely on flawed studies.

And while a more recent study did show

that reaction times and errors increase for some bilingual students

in cross-language tests,

it also showed that the effort and attention needed

to switch between languages triggered more activity in,

and potentially strengthened, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

This is the part of the brain that plays a large role

in executive function, problem solving, switching between tasks,

and focusing while filtering out irrelevant information.

So, while bilingualism may not necessarily make you smarter,

it does make your brain more healthy, complex and actively engaged,

and even if you didn't have the good fortune

of learning a second language as a child,

it's never too late to do yourself a favor

and make the linguistic leap from, "Hello,"

to, "Hola," "Bonjour" or "你好’s"

because when it comes to our brains a little exercise can go a long way.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
bilingual /baɪˈlɪŋɡwəl/ B2	adjective - using or able to use two languages
multilingual /ˌmʌltiˈlɪŋɡwəl/ B2	adjective - using or able to use several languages
language /ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ/ A1	noun - a system of communication using words and symbols
brain /breɪn/ A1	noun - the organ inside the head that controls thought, memory, and emotion
acquire /əˈkwaɪr/ B1	verb - to gain or develop a skill, knowledge, or asset
proficient /prəˈfɪʃənt/ B2	adjective - skilled and competent in a particular activity
hemisphere /ˈhɛmɪsfɪər/ C1	noun - half of the Earth or brain, divided longitudinally
lateralization /ˌlætərələˈzeɪʃən/ C1	noun - the localization of function or activity to one side of the brain
plasticity /plæˈstɪsɪti/ C1	noun - the ability of the brain to adapt and reorganize itself
rational /ˈræʃənl/ B2	adjective - based on or in accordance with reason or logic
density /ˈdɛnsɪti/ B2	noun - the degree of compactness of a substance
grey matter /ɡreɪ ˈmætər/ C1	noun - a major component of the central nervous system, containing neuron cell bodies
executive /ɪgˈzɛkjutɪv/ B2	adjective - relating to or having the power to manage or direct
dorsolateral /ˌdɔrsəˈlætərəl/ C2	adjective - relating to or located on the side and upper part of an organ

Key Grammar Structures

• If you answered, "sí," "oui," or "会" and you're watching this in English, chances are you belong to the world's bilingual and multilingual majority.

  ➔ Zero Conditional

  ➔ "If you answered" is part of a zero conditional structure, used to express general truths or facts, where if the condition is true, the result always follows.

• Language ability is typically measured in two active parts, speaking and writing, and two passive parts, listening and reading.

  ➔ Passive Voice

  ➔ "is measured" is in the passive voice, where the subject receives the action rather than performing it, focusing on the receiver.

• While a balanced bilingual has near equal abilities across the board in two languages, most bilinguals around the world know and use their languages in varying proportions.

  ➔ Concession Clause (While)

  ➔ "While a balanced bilingual has..." introduces a concession clause, contrasting or admitting a point while introducing another, often showing contrast or exception.

• And depending on their situation and how they acquired each language, they can be classified into three general types.

  ➔ Gerund Phrase (Depending on)

  ➔ "Depending on their situation" is a gerund phrase acting as an adverbial, indicating conditions or basis for classification.

• Gabriella develops two linguistic codes simultaneously, with a single set of concepts,

  ➔ Prepositional Phrase (With)

  ➔ "with a single set of concepts" is a prepositional phrase providing additional information about the main action, describing means or accompanying circumstances.

• Finally, Gabriella's parents are likely to be subordinate bilinguals who learn a secondary language by filtering it through their primary language.

  ➔ Relative Clause (Who)

  ➔ "who learn a secondary language" is a defining relative clause specifying which bilinguals, using "who" to refer back to the subject.

• Because all types of bilingual people can become fully proficient in a language regardless of accent or pronunciation,

  ➔ Causal Clause (Because)

  ➔ "Because all types..." is a causal clause explaining the reason for the previous statement, introducing the cause with "because".

• But recent advances in brain imaging technology have given neurolinguists a glimpse into how specific aspects of language learning affect the bilingual brain.

  ➔ Present Perfect Tense (Have Given)

  ➔ "have given" is in the present perfect tense, connecting past actions to the present, emphasizing the completed action's relevance now.