When children and adolescents learn new languages, it is…

When children and adolescents learn new languages, it is against the backdrop of increasing gray matter, and so their learning the additional languages may occur through the addition of gray matter, but when adults continue their focus on multiple languages - this time with an emphasis on simultaneous translation - it is against a backdrop of pruning synapses. Thus the language learning that takes place in adulthood may take place more through getting rid of gray matter getting rid of some inefficient nerve cells to speed up processes which would explain why the simultaneous interpreters had less gray matter than other multilingual adults.

— from Time

Also belongs to

• The Mind in the Cockpit
• Expanding Your Range (Growth/Change/Education/Learning/Habit)
• Decisions & Choices (Decision/Choice/Focus/Forethought/Consequences)

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