Rather, the circumstances of their family, place of birth, or immigration history simply required that they learn more than one language. Although bilinguals undoubtedly differ from monolinguals in certain ways, they generally did not choose bilingualism. Bilingualism is different from all of these: like juggling and playing video games it is intense, and like architecture and driving taxis in London it is sustained, but unlike these experiences, bilinguals are not typically pre-selected for talent or interest. Such modifications have been found following experiences as diverse as juggling, video-game playing, careers in architecture taxi-driving, and musical training. The context for examining how bilingualism affects cognitive ability is functional neuroplasticity, the study of how experience modifies brain structure and brain function. What are these cognitive differences and how does bilingualism lead to these changes? Importantly, accumulating research shows that the development, efficiency, and decline of crucial cognitive abilities are different for bilinguals than for monolinguals. Bilinguals, therefore, make up a significant portion of the population. In Europe, bilingualism is even more prevalent: In a recent survey, 56% of the population across all European Union countries reported being functionally bilingual, with some countries recording particularly high rates, such as Luxembourg at 99%.
These figures are higher in urban areas, rising to about 60% in Los Angeles and 50% in Toronto. and Canada, approximately 20% of the population speaks a language at home other than English. It is generally believed that more than half of the world’s population is bilingual.
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