Leading Experts Gather to Discuss the Brain-Boosting Power of Multilingualism in Hong Kong and Beyond 

As the host of the event, ENGL Chair Professor Tony McEnery (2nd from left) thanks Prof. Jason Rothman (2nd from right), Dr Jiuzhou Hao (right), and Dr Jia’en Yee (left) for their talks.

The Department of English and Communication (ENGL) hosted the Research Symposium - Multilingualism, cognition and language acquisition: new findings, new directions on 7 May 2026. The symposium was joined by colleagues from Edinburgh and Lancaster Universities who presented cutting-edge research on the nature of language processing in the brain and the potential cognitive benefits of bilingualism. Chair Professor Tony McEnery hosted the event and introduced Prof. Jason Rothman (Lancaster), who provided the major talk of the event, which focused on the tangled strands of evidence that point to some sort of cognitive benefit from language learning. The standout finding from his presentation was that with regard to dementia, language learning seems to develop a 'cognitive reserve' that enables dementia sufferers to stave off the worst effects of the disease for longer than those who have not engaged in language learning. The event was attended by about 30 attendees from across Hong Kong and beyond.