The Bilingual Brain

The Bilingual Brain – Latest Findings about Cerebral Processes when Learning Languages

By Mike L. Weiss

One of the first events of the newly created German Center for Research & Innovation (GCRI, Deutsches Wissenschafts- und Innovationshaus) took place on June 3 with a dinner-lecture on the topic of the Bilingual Brain. On the 23rd floor of the German Consulate building in New York across the street from the United Nations and enjoying a spectacular view of the East River, speakers explained the two primary systems involved in language processing and why learning a second language is so hard.

Moderator Dr. Joann Halpern of the GCRI opened the event by introducing the German consul general in New York, Dr. Horst Freitag. Freitag joked about the miscommunications he’s seen in his own diplomatic career and stressed that learning new languages are vital in understanding, “opinions, perceptions, and perspectives,” in other countries.

Dr. Jürgen Meisel, a professor of linguistics at the University of Hamburg and the University of Calgary, spoke about the different cognitive systems in the brain that process grammar and non-grammar aspects of language separately. Dr. Meisel explained that since a person’s grammar system is firmly established by age 10 or 11, it becomes very hard to learn a new language after this age.

Dr. Michael Ullman further clarified this point. A professor of neurology, linguistics, and psychology at Georgetown University, he showed how the non-grammar aspects of language, memorizing words for example, is related to a brain processing system called “declarative memory.” Grammar on the other hand, or the more abstract concepts of language, is related to a separate system called “procedural memory.” Amazingly enough, his research shows that these two systems are delicately balanced together, “like a see-saw,” and that a person’s relative strengths memorizing words or grammar can be used to explain certain neurological conditions such as the seemingly miraculous memory feats shown in savantism.

Both researchers hope their work will lead to a clearer understanding of how the brain understands language and that this might lead to better teaching methods for learning a second language, but they admit it’s hard. When asked by an audience member if it were possible, with today’s current teaching methods, to really learn a second language in school, Dr. Meisel said, “I think you can learn in a classroom – in spite of the teaching.”

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