Bilingual brain: A superpower according to BEO World?

Inspired by the article “The Bilingual Brain - Does Being Multilingual Give You Superpowers?” (Job Coconut, 2024), BEO World reflects on how speaking multiple languages not only opens cultural doors, but shapes our brain and perception of the world. This vision resonates with the pillars of our international programmes that strengthen cognitive and emotional competencies. This capacity is lived and expanded through international educational experiences.

The article mentions the film Arrival, where the protagonist acquires extraordinary abilities by mastering an alien language. Although the future is not predicted in reality, the analogy illustrates a key point: speaking several languages changes the way we think.

It is said that ‘different languages offer different ways of understanding the world’. For example, some contain untranslatable concepts such as hygge (in Danish, not Dutch), which means that a monolingual person might experience an emotion without even being able to name it.

A fascinating part of the article suggests that ‘being multilingual can mean having two personalities’, as each language activates different ways of seeing and acting in the world. This ability to change perspective also strengthens mental flexibility, and according to research, may protect the brain against diseases such as dementia.

At BEO World, these benefits are reflected in the real-life experience of students during their educational trips. Whether in programmes such as BEO, The Masters, IEX or UNEXT, our participants develop not only language proficiency, but also cognitive tools such as empathy, decision-making and critical thinking.

Our courses abroad place young people in multicultural contexts, where learning goes beyond academics. Interaction in different languages strengthens their adaptability, allows them to expand their international network and significantly improves their English from an experiential perspective.

BEO World not only promotes language learning, but turns it into a transformative experience. Because beyond a superpower, being multilingual is a tool to see the world with more depth, creativity and humanity.

References:

Job Coconut. (2024). The bilingual brain – Does being multilingual give you superpowers? LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/bilingual-brain-does-being-multilingual-give-you-maria-o-brien/

Mental Floss. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.mentalfloss.com

The Guardian. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com