The Functioning of the Bilingual Brain: Language, Cognition, and the Potential of the Self

We were honored to welcome Professor Guo Taomei from the Faculty of Psychology at Beijing Normal University as the keynote speaker for the inaugural lecture in the CSIA Scholar Sharing Series. Her talk, titled "The Advantages of Second Language Learning from a Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective," guided participants on an insightful exploration of the deep connections between language and the brain.

The event began with visiting scholars from various universities introducing themselves in a warm and friendly atmosphere, quickly forming intellectual and academic bonds. Professor Guo affectionately described the gathering as “one big, warm family.”

She opened the lecture with a simple yet profound question: “Why do we learn English?” Rather than focusing on surface-level motivations like exams or employment, Professor Guo shared a moving story about a blind scholar she met in Cambridge who was dedicated to learning Chinese in order to build a cultural bridge between China and the UK. The story…