How Language Works With Your Brain

Right from birth, our brains are wired to learn communication skills.

Even in cases of deaf parents, babies still mirror the language they observe by moving their hands in an imitation of American Sign Language (Petitto). The specific language babies learn first also has an influence on thought processes, as does the culture associated with that language. Furthermore, the acquisition of languages beyond one’s native language can expand the capacity of many brain functions and offer a broader perspective of the world. Understanding how language influences the brain deepens our understanding of ourselves and fosters greater understanding between people. 

If you place your hand just between the temple and the ear on the left side of the head, your hand will be just over where Broca’s area is in the brain. Moving your hand closer towards the back of your head, you can find Wernicke’s area. These two parts of the brain can be identified as the primary “language centers,” responsible for different components of communication. Broca’s area is the part of the brain that allows you to speak (Flinker), while Wernicke’s area is tasked with understanding speech (Binder). Both of these areas are essential for the comprehension and usage of language. Without these two vital brain centers, people would be unable to do important everyday activities, like talk to friends, answer a question in class, or communicate with others.

 Infants’ brains are organized differently, and only by 18 months old have both Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas reached mature appearance (Rosselli). Before this period, at around 6 months, infants are in their babbling stage. The majority of the sounds made at this stage are vowel-consonant pairs, like “ma-ma.” During this period, infants make sounds from all languages. Only six months later does the babbling become identifiable with the household’s language (Rosselli). The age of 18 months is also a significant time period because children generally begin to exhibit grammatical development and actively produce language at this age (Weisleder). During this critical period for language development, vocabulary essentially “explodes.” Children are able to pick up new phrases and words quicker than ever just by hearing people around them speak. 

It is debated among scholars how much a person’s thinking is determined by their language as they develop. American linguist Benjamin Lee Whorf presented one of the most well-known theories on this topic, proposing the Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis (Scholz). The central idea behind this concept is that language determines thought. For instance, one of the most famous examples of Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis was that the Hopi, a Native American tribe from Arizona, could not think about the past because they did not have a past tense for verbs (Buru).  Many scholars consider Whorf’s approach to be too extreme (Kortmann), and pponents of his  theory state that his belief is limiting and fails to examine how people’s thoughts influence the development of language. Linguistic Relativity states that thought is determined by language. A more widely accepted idea is that thought is influenced, not determined, by a mix of language and culture.

Cultural concepts and values are deeply embedded in language. Words are influenced by people’s thoughts and culture over time, and language can be a tool for evolving our culture. For example, the Enlightenment period was a period of European History where people’s worldview was changing from a church-driven perspective to a more academic viewpoint. In years just prior to the Enlightenment, words like ‘think’ and ‘self’ sharply increased in usage. At the same time, words like ‘sin’, ‘we’, and ‘hierarchy’ all decreased in usage (Wickham.) The ideas leading up to the Enlightenment partially resulted from years of gradual linguistic shift in society. The language used during this period was reflective of the changing attitudes and cultural norms of the time.

Cultural norms between languages can also impact how a person behaves based on the language they are speaking. World renowned multilingual and German professor, Christoph Harbsmeier, described a phenomenon of how bilingual or multilingual people often experience a “different personality” depending on the language they are speaking (Wierzbicka). A popular hypothesis for this circumstance is that people behave differently across languages due to cultural norms, known as the Cultural Accommodation Hypothesis (Akkermans). The Cultural Accommodation Hypothesis suggests that different languages activate a set of rules and personality traits, each belonging to different cultures.

 One study involving Hong-Kong Chinese-English bicultural bilingual participants found that in interactions in English, external observers judged the interactions between participants and the interviewer to be more open and extraverted than in Cantonese (Chen). The biculturalism of the participants is also important, as the participants were familiar with the cultural norms of both languages. Different languages have different social norms, just as one behavior may be acceptable at home but unsuitable for school or work. Culture influences language, which then influences culture. 

The acquisition of a second language can benefit the brain in several key ways. For example, studies have found that bilingual children were better than monolingual children at multitasking (Harrison). A separate study revealed that bilingualism resulted in improved academic achievement, enhanced creativity, and even better employability (Fox.) Further, bilingualism has been shown to protect against age-related decline by maintaining cognitive reserve (Marian.) Cognitive reserve is the efficient usage of brain networks to enhance brain function during aging. Bilingualism ties into this as the bilingual experience keeps these cognitive skills sharp and makes use of other brain networks to enhance brain function even during aging. Along with all these cognitive benefits, knowing multiple languages has an important practical advantage of allowing you to speak with people from all different backgrounds or even nations. 

All things considered, the influence of language on the brain is undeniably profound and far-reaching. At an early age, language acquisition begins and shapes the neural pathways in the brain. The particular language learned first and the culture it carries have the power to mold a person’s socialization and shape their worldview. The brain’s remarkable plasticity allows for the expansion of brain functions when additional languages are acquired. This leads to enhanced cognitive flexibility and a broader understanding of the world. Being aware of the intricate relationship between language and the brain is crucial for understanding human communication, cognition, and cultural diversity. 

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Written by Sedona Smith

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