London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of "early bilinguals" who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.

　　Scans showed that grey matter density (密度) in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language.But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference was.　

　　"Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language," said the scientists.

　　It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn.

　　Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales, has researched the link between bilingualism and maths skills."Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible,"he said."You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas."

The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between two and 34.Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested.