The brain is a dynamic biological machine of the highest complexity and beauty, capable of feats beyond any other biological system so far discovered in nature. Its power is compounded even further by the fact that the brain continues to develop well into old age, thereby allowing one to continue to improve one's brain power at all stages of one's life. The brain's dynamic nature comes as a result of the way the organ works- neural pathways. As one experiences, learns and imagines one's brain changes. In a most physical way, the cells which make up the brain, called neurons, rearrange themselves constantly according to the stimuli they receive. For example, as one begins to learn to play the piano, the brain begins to rearrange neural connections within itself so as to facilitate improvement. Slowly, fingers that once could not keep time or stretch to hit distant notes almost magically improve, and after years it is like a second nature for them to perform tasks they previously could not. This, of course, is the process of learning, and it guides us here at Biryukov Academy in every task and program we undertake.

Yet it is not just the physical processes that influence and shape the brain. Other stimuli, whether visual or auditory, act on the brain with the same potency as the tactile feeling of a keyboard, and are often extremely powerful agents of change within the brain. One such stimulus is language. Learning a new language dramatically changes the brain for the better, and the earlier one begins learning the stronger the effect. The reason for this is plasticity - the ability of the brain to physically adapt (establish neural networks, or re-enforce old ones) in response to some stimulus. The younger one is, the better one's neural plasticity. This is why children have an easier time picking up new languages. It is therefore a natural desire to introduce a child to as many languages as possible, but does it actually improve brain function?

Studies have shown that those who are bilingual have significantly more gray matter, a substance in the brain which serves to aid cognitive thinking. Those who learn a second or third language quite literally have more developed brains (more neural pathways) because in their youth a lot of gray matter was created, along with an increase in neural pathways (due to brain cells trying to establish new connections to distant parts of the brain). There is in fact a direct correlation which shows that the younger one develops his or her bilingual skill, the more gray matter one possesses (and therefore, the more one gains in cognitive ability). This lasts for a lifetime - the effects of early childhood education in language arts can be measured many years later, and many of these effects, such as the increased levels of gray matter, do not diminish with age. So, in conclusion, learning a language is especially natural to younger human with a lot of brain plasticity, like children. Learning a language further increases plasticity, develops brain tissues (gray matter), and improves the neural pathways of the brain which are responsible for thinking skills and learning ability.

Links to check out:
Neuroplasticity , general resource on Neuroplasticity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasticity_(brain) ;  Brain Plasticity , overview with specific topics about brain plasticity
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/plast.html; Where are the boundaries between words How infants recognize syllables
http://www.waisman.wisc.edu/infantlearning/current.htm ; Brain Plasticity, Language Processing and Reading How brains are malleable throughout life http://www.sfn.org/home.aspx