Bilingual Brain May Start to Fade By Age 1, University of Washington Study

Learning a second language is second nature to babies, but new research finds the ability may begin to fade as early as the first birthday. Scientists say a new study published in the Journal of Phonetics that investigates the brain mechanisms contributing to infants’ prowess at learning languages could boost bilingualism in adults as well. “The bilingual brain is fascinating because it reflects humans’ abilities for flexible thinking—bilingual babies learn that objects and events in the world have two names, and flexibly switch between these labels, giving the brain lots of good exercise,” says study co-author Patricia Kuhl, professor of speech and hearing sciences and co-director of the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences at the University of Washington.