Could speaking more than one language lead to more empathetic, socially aware individuals?
Empathy—the ability to understand and share another person’s thoughts and emotions—is a cornerstone of social and emotional development. Meanwhile, bilingualism is increasingly common in today’s globalised world, with more than half the world’s population estimated to be bilingual or multilingual.
While much research has explored the cognitive advantages of bilingualism, a growing area of interest is how it may also influence empathy, particularly in children.
Could speaking more than one language lead to more empathetic, socially aware individuals? The answer appears to be yes—but with important nuances.
What Is Empathy—and Why Might Bilingualism Enhance It?
Empathy involves two core components:
- Cognitive empathy: understanding another person’s mental state or perspective (often linked with Theory of Mind).
- Affective empathy: sharing or responding emotionally to another’s feelings.
Bilingualism may foster empathy through three primary mechanisms:
- Perspective-taking: Switching between languages often requires children to consider context, speaker intent, and cultural nuance—skills that overlap with empathy.
- Social awareness: Exposure to multiple languages typically means exposure to multiple cultural norms and emotional expressions. This exposure is especially effective when children are introduced to multilingual environments early in life, which can increase both social cognition and empathy.
- Increased executive function: Bilingual children develop cognitive flexibility, inhibition, and attention control—tools that help them regulate their own emotions and understand others’ perspectives.
Importantly, these mechanisms intersect in meaningful ways: language serves as a vehicle for cultural meaning, and culture shapes how empathy is expressed, interpreted, and understood. This intersection offers a powerful foundation for building social bridges in increasingly diverse societies.
Neuroscience Insight
Neuroimaging studies show that bilingualism influences both language control and emotional regulation. Brain regions like the anterior cingulate cortex, prefrontal cortex, putamen, and thalamus—key for managing attention, empathy, and emotion—show structural differences in bilinguals, linking language control to emotional insight (5).
These neurological connections may be further deepened when children process emotions in their native language, which has been shown to improve emotional resonance.
These changes in the brain reflect not only linguistic versatility but also the emotional adaptability required to engage across cultures—a process that inherently supports the development of empathy.
Understanding these connections across language, brain, and emotion may offer a more holistic view of how bilingualism supports both individual and societal resilience.
Evidence Linking Bilingualism and Empathy in Childhood
Early Studies and Theory of Mind
One of the earliest and most cited links between bilingualism and empathy is the improved development of Theory of Mind (ToM)—the ability to understand that others may have beliefs, desires, and intentions different from one’s own.
In a study of Hungarian-Serbian bilingual and monolingual children, researchers found that bilinguals outperformed monolinguals on both ToM tasks and empathy scales. The bilinguals were more skilled at understanding complex social stories and demonstrated higher scores on the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), a well-validated empathy scale (1, 2).
Language Switching Encourages Perspective-Taking
Managing two language systems requires children to constantly monitor their linguistic output and select the appropriate code depending on context and interlocutor. This kind of mental flexibility—particularly when it includes code-switching—is linked to an increased ability to shift perspectives, a fundamental skill in developing empathy (3).
Children exposed to multiple languages—even if not fully bilingual—tend to perform better in social cognition tasks. A study published in Psychological Science (4) found that multilingual exposure (not necessarily fluency) helped preschoolers better interpret others’ perspectives in ambiguous social scenarios. Support for these skills is increased when children actively use both of their languages, maintaining fluency and cultural connection over time.
Importantly, this ability to shift perspectives may serve as a foundational skill in addressing social divides. By fostering empathetic communication and mutual understanding, multilingual children may be better equipped to navigate complex social environments marked by diversity and difference.
What the Brain Tells Us: Neurological Links Between Language and Emotion
Neuroimaging studies provide biological evidence for the bilingual-empathy connection. Bilingualism has been shown to alter the structure and activity of brain regions involved in both language control and emotional regulation, such as:
- Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) – involved in attention and conflict monitoring.
- Prefrontal cortex – governs self-regulation, decision-making, and empathy.
- Putamen and thalamus – control articulation and emotional modulation.
For example, a study by Burgaleta et al. (2015) found that bilinguals had expanded grey matter in the putamen and thalamus, areas implicated not only in language control but also in empathy and emotional processing (5).
These findings highlight the importance of interdisciplinary and culturally inclusive research—particularly collaborations with researchers from diverse linguistic backgrounds—to further uncover the neurobiological pathways between bilingualism and empathy.
PAUSE AND REFLECT
Have you ever had to explain your feelings in a second language—or understood someone better because of the words they used in theirs?
How might that experience have affected your empathy?
Mixed Results and Limitations in the Research
Not all studies show a direct link between bilingualism and higher empathy. A 2025 study by Ward and Ragosko found no overall difference in empathy and emotional intelligence (EI) between bilingual and monolingual groups. However, a significant finding was that empathy and EI scores were higher when information was processed in the participant’s first language. This suggests that language familiarity plays a role in emotional resonance (6).
Additionally, some studies have questioned whether cultural exposure—rather than language proficiency—is the key factor in fostering empathy. Bilingual environments often include multicultural interactions, which independently promote social sensitivity.
Future research must continue to explore the nuanced role of culture, environment, and even indigenous language perspectives in shaping empathy. These intersectional factors may provide a richer understanding of how empathy develops across different linguistic experiences.
To move the research forward, scholars must explore the intersectionality of language experience, cultural background, environmental conditions, and systemic inequalities. Acknowledging these overlapping influences is essential for a regenerative model of empathy development.
Cultural Competence and Multilingual Identity
Language is more than a tool—it is a cultural lens. Multilingual children are often immersed in diverse traditions, customs, and emotional expression styles. This diversity fosters:
- Cultural empathy: recognising and respecting emotional differences across cultures.
- Metalinguistic awareness: understanding how language shapes emotional expression.
Cook’s theory of multicompetence argues that bilinguals develop a unique form of identity that allows them to understand multiple realities. This pluralistic mindset improves their capacity for empathy on both cognitive and affective levels (7).
Similarly, a study from Bridgewater State University (8) found that bilingual students reported greater empathy and perspective-taking when navigating intercultural friendships. Integrating culturally diverse texts and discussions in educational settings can further nurture this empathy and support emotional development in multilingual learners.
Beyond the classroom, this cultural and emotional adaptability plays an important role in creating inclusive societies. Bilingual and bicultural children are uniquely positioned to bridge social gaps and mediate conflicts shaped by linguistic or cultural misunderstanding.
Centring indigenous languages and worldviews in discussions of empathy can broaden our understanding of what emotional connection and social harmony mean across communities. These perspectives can regenerate and restore relational values that are often neglected in dominant cultural paradigms.
Implications for Education and Parenting
The growing research base suggests practical ways to foster empathy through language exposure:
Encourage Early Multilingual Exposure
- Children don’t need to be fluent in multiple languages to benefit.
- Even minimal exposure to different languages can improve social cognition.
- Early exposure also promotes more inclusive attitudes and empathy toward others, especially when combined with cultural learning.
Use Native Language for Emotional Learning
- Children process emotions more deeply in their first language.
- Emotional conversations, discipline, and storytelling may be more effective in a child’s native language.
- This practice strengthens emotional processing and provides a stable foundation for empathy development.
Build Empathy in Multilingual Classrooms
- Integrate culturally diverse texts and discussions.
- Allow children to use their home languages to express feelings.
- Encourage collaborative work among peers from different linguistic backgrounds.
Such collaboration promotes shared emotional experiences, broader perspective-taking, and stronger peer connections.
Cultural Connection
In many communities around the world, bilingualism is a way of life. Children who grow up switching between languages often navigate different cultural expectations, social roles, and emotional expressions with ease.
For instance, a bilingual child might speak Spanish at home—where emotional expression is encouraged and familial respect is emphasised—and English at school—where individuality and directness may be more valued. This dual exposure fosters an intuitive understanding of how emotions are expressed differently across contexts.
Studies also show that bilinguals often perform better on tasks requiring perspective-taking, suggesting that living between languages may prime the brain for empathy by default. Incorporating insights from indigenous languages and cultural frameworks can deepen this understanding and broaden the regenerative social benefits of multilingualism.
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Future Directions and Considerations
While the evidence is promising, researchers highlight the need for:
- Longitudinal studies tracking bilingual children’s emotional development over time.
- Cultural control groups to distinguish effects of language vs. culture.
- Neuroimaging and behavioural synthesis to confirm overlapping brain regions involved in language control and empathy.
Continued exploration of how environmental and cultural factors intersect with language experience will be essential. Remaining open to limitations and diverse perspectives will ensure the research stays inclusive and reflective of real-world complexities.
Future research should adopt more holistic models that account for cultural identity, systemic inequities, and environmental factors. These frameworks can help educators and policymakers make use of the full regenerative potential of language-based empathy.
Importantly, the benefits of bilingualism are most evident when languages are actively used, not just known. Fluency, frequent switching, and deep cultural engagement appear to increase the empathy link.
Conclusion
Bilingualism shapes not only how children think but also how they feel and connect with others. From increased perspective-taking to greater emotional flexibility, bilingual children often display a broader and more inclusive understanding of human experience. While the research is ongoing and not without complexity, the evidence suggests that growing up with multiple languages is a powerful way to cultivate empathy.
By supporting multilingualism in early education, emotional learning, and cross-cultural exchange, we open the door to more empathetic and socially connected generations. When language exposure is paired with inclusive cultural education and indigenous perspectives, it offers a regenerative pathway toward emotional intelligence, cross-cultural harmony, and social equity.
Reflect
If you know an educator, parent, or policymaker interested in social-emotional learning, share this article with them.
Language is more than communication—it’s a pathway to connection.
References:
- Feng, J., Cho, S., & Luk, G. (2023). Assessing Theory of Mind in bilinguals: A scoping review on tasks and study designs. Bilingualism Language and Cognition, 27(4), 531–545. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1366728923000585
- Javor, R. (2017). Bilingualism, Theory of Mind and Perspective-Taking: The effect of early bilingual exposure. Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, 5(6), 143. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.pbs.20160506.13
- Sun, H., Yussof, N. T. B., Mohamed, M. B. B. H., Rahim, A. B., Bull, R., Cheung, M. W. L., & Cheong, S. A. (2018). Bilingual language experience and children’s social-emotional and behavioural skills: a cross-sectional study of Singapore preschoolers. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 24(3), 324–339. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2018.1461802
- Fan, S. P., Liberman, Z., Keysar, B., & Kinzler, K. D. (2015). The exposure advantage. Psychological Science, 26(7), 1090–1097. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797615574699
- Burgaleta, M., Sanjuán, A., Ventura-Campos, N., Sebastian-Galles, N., & Ávila, C. (2015). Bilingualism at the core of the brain. Structural differences between bilinguals and monolinguals revealed by subcortical shape analysis. NeuroImage, 125, 437–445. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.09.073
- Ward, R., & Ragosko, M. (2025). Does language experience and bilingualism shape empathy and emotional intelligence? International Journal of Bilingualism. https://doi.org/10.1177/13670069241308078
- Dewaele, J., & Wei, L. (2012). Multilingualism, empathy and multicompetence. International Journal of Multilingualism, 9(4), 352–366. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2012.714380
- Won, J. (2022). The effects of multilingual learning on Social-Emotional and Cognitive development in children. In BSU Honors Program Theses and Projects. https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1592&context=honors_proj
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