University of Houston professor of psychology Arturo Hernandez is challenging the findings of a recent study published in the journal Nature Aging, which claimed that people living in multilingual countries experience healthier brain aging. Hernandez said on Mar. 9 in the journal Brain and Language that these conclusions should be interpreted with caution and that their public health implications may need to be reconsidered.
The topic is important because it addresses how scientific claims about language learning and cognitive health can influence public understanding and policy decisions. If such claims are overstated, they could mislead individuals or shape interventions based on incomplete evidence.
"We took a closer look and argued that the study's conclusions go further than the data can support," said Hernandez. He explained that European countries with high levels of multilingualism also tend to be wealthier, have better healthcare systems, and enjoy longer life expectancies—sometimes by as much as six years—compared to less multilingual nations. When these structural differences are considered, he said, the supposed benefits of multilingualism for brain aging largely disappear.
The original article examined records from 27 European countries and suggested that multilingualism protects against accelerated aging while monolingualism increases risk. However, Hernandez pointed out examples such as Luxembourg and the Netherlands—both highly multilingual with life expectancies of 82.5 years—and Bulgaria and Romania, where lower rates of multilingualism coincide with life expectancies nearly six or seven years shorter.
"A six-year gap in life expectancy is unlikely to be explained by language. World-class healthcare, superior early-childhood nutrition, higher occupational safety, and lower chronic stress offer a more parsimonious account—the same structural forces that produce longevity in general," said Hernandez. He also cited Japan as an example: "As a largely monolingual society, it boasts an exceptional life expectancy of 84.5 years. Low inequality, a healthy diet, and a robust universal healthcare system account for that advantage far better than language ever could," he said.
Hernandez concluded by warning against overselling individual behaviors like language learning as solutions for complex issues such as aging: "As scientists, we do a disservice to the public when we promote individual behavioral hacks as substitutes for structural resources. Learning a language is a beautiful, culturally enriching endeavor. It connects us to others and expands our world. But we must be careful not to overpromise it as a clinical intervention for aging."
