School of Communication

Bilingualism and Psycholinguistics Research Laboratory

Media Coverage

 

FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF MEDIA COVERAGE, CLICK HERE.

FOLLOW VIORICA MARIAN ON TWITTER @VioricaMarian1

 

Featured

Next Big Idea Club. The Power of Language: How the Codes We Use to Think, Speak, and Live Transform Our Minds. April 13, 2023.

Science Friday. Speaking Multiple Languages Changes The Way You Think. December 1, 2023.

The Dr. Drew Podcast. Viorica Marian. September 27, 2023.

American Psychological Association Speaking of Psychology. The benefits of being bilingual, with Viorica Marian, PhD. January 3, 2024.

ABC 7 News. Could Artificial Intelligence Eliminate Languages? April 20, 2023.

KERA Think. Want to strengthen your brain? Learn another language. April 10, 2023.

What the Parent? Viorica Marian Talks About Her Book, The Power of Language, and Why We (and our Kids) Should Learn Another Language. April 6, 2023.

The New Scientist. The Power of Language: What Speaking Many Languages Can Do. April 12, 2023.

Euronews. “The Power of Language”: 5 ways multilingual brains work differently. April 5, 2023.

Fast Company. Bilingual? You should try thinking problems through in two languages. March 31, 2023.

  • Translated into French for Slate. April 3, 2023.

 

Listen

A Penny for Your Thoughts. Bilingualism (feat. Dr. Sirada Rochanavibhata and Dr. Ashley Chung). February 7, 2024.

Chatwithus.org. The Power of Language: How the Codes We Use to Think, Speak, and Live Transform Our Lives. January 14, 2024.

American Psychological Association Speaking of Psychology. The benefits of being bilingual, with Viorica Marian, PhD. January 3, 2024.

Science Friday. Speaking Multiple Languages Changes The Way You Think. December 1, 2023.

Where Parents Talk. Raising a bilingual or multilingual child. October 19, 2023.

Breaking Boundaries. Multilingualism in the Era of AI with Viorica Marian and Morten Christiansen. September 30, 2023.

The Dr. Drew Podcast. Viorica Marian. September 27, 2023.

Next Big Idea Club. The Power of Language: How the Codes We Use to Think, Speak, and Live Transform Our Minds. April 13, 2023.

How To Academy. Viorica Marian – How the Languages We Speak Changes How We Think. July 8, 2023.

What the Parent? Viorica Marian Talks About Her Book, The Power of Language, and Why We (and our Kids) Should Learn Another Language. April 6, 2023.

KERA Think. Want to strengthen your brain? Learn another language. April 10, 2023.

Wisconsin Public Radio. How Languages of All Sorts Unlock Our Brain’s Potential. April 19, 2023.

Kansas Public Radio – Conversations. The Power of Language – How the Codes We Use to Think, Speak, and Live Transform Our Minds. April 20, 2023.

Ozarks at Large. Understanding the value of bilingualism. June 8, 2023.

Nancy’s Bookshelf. The power of language with Viorica Marian. May 10, 2023.

Shine On! Kacey’s Health and Happiness Show. Learning and breathing. May 4, 2023.

Utah Public Radio. “The Power of Language” with Viorica Marian. March 30, 2023.

Utah Public Radio. El poder del lenguaje. April 5, 2023.

KNX News Radio Los Angeles. Will AI speed up the disappearance of lesser-known languages? April 20, 2023.

The Mountain Life. The Bilingual Brain. April 12, 2023.

Multilingual Montessori. Episode 39: The Power of Language with Viorica Marian. April 12, 2023.

Write On! Radio. Interview with Dr. Viorica Marian. April 11, 2023.

Jennifer and Wendy Show. Viorica Marian – Power of Language. April 10, 2023.

Talk Louisiana. Viorica Marian, Chief Murphy Paul, Mark Ballard, Glen Bynum. April 6, 2023.

The Exchange. Interview with Professor Viorica Marian. April 6, 2023.

WVON Morning Show. Interview with Professor Marian. April 6, 2023.

Life Elsewhere. The Power of Language. April 6, 2023.

95X Morning Show with Rick and Thomas. Interview about bilingualism and cognition. April 6, 2023.

Walk Me Through. S2E7: Walk me through bilingualism. February 24, 2023. To listen to Professor Marian’s part, tune in at 24:40.

Telemundo Dallas Descifrando La Ciencia. Episodio 24: Hablar varios idiomas y tu cerebro. Matias Fernandez-Duque discusses how speaking multiple languages changes the brain. July 22, 2022

Nuances Podcast. Episode 11. Dr. Ashley Chung-Fat-Yim on how bilingual brains’ differ from monolinguals’, and how bilingualism improves performance at other tasks. July 10, 2022.

The Daily Northwestern. Brainstorm: Multilingualism and the Mind. Sirada Rochanavibhata and Siqi Ning discuss multilingualism and the mind. April 12, 2020.

KQED News. The Benefits of Learning a New Language (According to Experts).  May 9, 2019.

Smart Drug Smarts Podcast. Episode #227: How language affects thought. May 14, 2018. Click here to listen.

Higher Ed Social. Episode 115. Bilingualism and cognition. June 7, 2018.

talkRADIO. The Late Late Early Early Show with Paul Ross. On learning another language. May 3, 2018. Click here to listen.

Voice of Islam: Drive Time. Dying Languages. On the cognitive and emotional effects of bilingualism. March 14, 2018. Click here to listen.

BBC. Benefits of bilingualism. On language co-activation and consequences of bilingualism. May 16, 2016. Click here to listen.

KIQI 1010 San Francisco & KATD 990 Sacramento. On Attitudes towards and consequences of bilingualism. March 18, 2015. Click here to listen.

National Institutes of Health. Podcast on Bilingualism.  On the bilingual brain and cognitive control. February 23, 2015. Click here to listen.

The Kojo Nnamdi Show. Surging demand for dual language education.  January 15, 2015.

Cambridge 105. 105 Drive with Julian Clover: Bilingual children.  October 14, 2014. Click here to listen.

National Public Radio (WBEZ91.5). Clever Apes #31. On the bilingual brain. June 6, 2012. Click here to listen.

 

Watch

ViX: Noticias Univision 24/7. The challenges and benefits of raising a bilingual child. Matias Fernandez-Duque discusses how to best support bilingual children. March 18, 2024.

PIVOT Media Studio, Tokyo. 世界的な心理言語学者 ビオリカ・マリアンと「言語の力」/“The Power of Language” with world-renowned psycholinguist Viorica Marian. January 30, 2024.

Rooted Linguistics. The Power of Language with Viorica Marian. January 15, 2024.

The Sheekey Science Show. The Power of Language – How communication influences our lives. December 24, 2023.

Univision Chicago. La inteligencia artificial llegó para quedarse: ¿puede esta tecnología poner en riesgo tu empleo? December 16, 2023.

HeLPiNG Questions. The Transformative Power of Language. December 1, 2023.

Early Learning Nation. Following the Science, Bilingualism as an Asset Supporting Early Brain Development. June 6, 2023.

ABC 7 News. Could Artificial Intelligence Eliminate Languages? April 20, 2023.

CBS News. Alderman, alderperson, alderwoman? The great City Council debate continues. May 11, 2023.

Buffett Institute for Global Affairs. “The Power of Language” Book Talk with Dr. Viorica Marian. April 17, 2023.

Northwestern SOC Interview, May 13, 2019.

Chicago Tonight Interview, May 24, 2018.

Moldova Times Interview, January 30, 2017.

TV Moldova, Prima Ora Interview, November 29, 2016.

WGN Evening News, Chicago, November 12, 2014.

ITV, Buzz60. Colbertian Language Study, St. Louis, MO, AOL On. July 16, 2012.

 

Read

Duluth News Tribune. Learn others’ languages to create a future together. September 25, 2024.

Candide Books. Candide Books Best Seller. September 23, 2024.

ダ・ヴィンチWeb. AIがあるのに外国語を学ぶ意味ってあるの？言語のエキスパートが語る脳への効用とは【「ゆる言語学ラジオ」水野太貴氏×心理言語学者・ビオリカ・マリアン先生特別インタビュー】September 4, 2024.

Note.「ゆる言語学ラジオ」水野太貴の疑問（後編）世界的に著名な心理言語学者・ビオリカ先生に聞いてみた. August 26, 2024.

Note.「ゆる言語学ラジオ」水野太貴の疑問（前編）世界的に著名な心理言語学者・ビオリカ先生に聞いてみた. August 25, 2024.

Los Cerritos News. World Languages at AURA Academy. July 24, 2024.

Creators Syndicate. A Summer Feast for Wordies. June 12, 2024.

Kenosha News. School integration a dream many believed after Brown and Board. May 17, 2024.

BBC Future. ‘A worthwhile opportunity’: The adventure of raising bilingual children. March 11, 2024.

Hartford Courant. Troconis ‘had everything to lose’ in talks with police. March 6, 2024. Read the newspaper article here (pages 1, 2).

Hartford Courant. Troconis declines to testify; defense rests. February 24, 2024. Click here to read.

Fast Company. Does it matter which language you speak? Words have the power to transform our lives. February 8, 2024.

Oklahoma State University. Psychology professor publishes new research on sound-meaning associations in foreign languages. January 26, 2024.

Next Big Idea Club. 5 New Books on How Language Shapes Our Lives. January 24, 2024.

The Behavioral Scientist. Most Read Articles of 2023. December 23, 2023.

The Behavioral Scientist. Behavioral Scientist’s Notable Books of 2023. December 20, 2023.

The Ritz Herald. Exploring the benefits of multilingualism in today’s world. December 7, 2023.

Indianapolis Recorder Magazine. Holiday book gift guide. November 22, 2023.

Language Magazine. Bilingualism and Memory Recall. October 12, 2023.

Next Big Idea Club. 7 new books on the quirky side of language. September 25, 2023.

Index. A nyelvtudás megváltoztatja az emlékezetet. September 10, 2023.

Aktual24. A fi bilingv iti afecteaza perceptia vizuala si memoria. September 5, 2023.

Big Think. Being bilingual affects your visual perception and memory. September 4, 2023.

Morning Star. I’m a jam doughnut. September 4, 2023.

Sciences et Avenir. Le bilinguisme améliore la mémoire visuelle grâce à l’activation de “mots concurrents.” August 30, 2023.

Tagesschau. Fremdsprachen helfen dem Gedächtnis. August 29, 2023.

Neuroscience News. Bilingual brain boost: How knowing two languages enhances memory and prediction. August 27, 2023.

Financial Times. The pleasures of bilingual reading. August 24, 2023.

Tek Crispy. Detrás del cerebro bilingüe: ¿Por qué los hablantes de varios idiomas memorizan mejor? August 23, 2023.

News Directory 3. The cognitive benefits of bilingualism: Improving memory and cognitive functioning. August 22, 2023.

Puls.bg. Полиглотите имат по-добра памет. August 22, 2023.

The Jerusalem Post. How does bilingualism impact memory? – Study. August 21, 2023.

Tech Explorist. Objects with similar sounds are easier to remember. August 21, 2023.

El País. “Un idioma es una forma de ver el mundo”: Las personas que hablan distintas lenguas memorizan major. August 19, 2023.

Northwestern Now. Was it a tortoise, or a torte? Study finds overlapping sounds can cue memory across languages. August 18, 2023.

Scinexx. Wie Sprache unser visuelles Gedächtnis beeinflusst. August 18, 2023.

The Conversation. Why bilinguals have a memory advantage – New research. August 16, 2023.

The Linguist, the professional journal of the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL). The Power of Language. Summer 2023.

The Times Literary Supplement. Speaking in tongues. August 11, 2023.

The Daily News of Newburyport. As I see it: Language builds and divides culture. August 7, 2023.

Early Learning Nation. 5 Top Takeaways: Following the Science on Bilingualism. July 5, 2023.

New Scientist. Best science books and must-reads for your next break. June 21, 2023.

Harvard Business Review. The Power of Words. June 16, 2023.

Homeschool Spanish Academy. Are bilingual students smarter? June 16, 2023.

Inc. 13 Psychology Books to Read This Summer to Understand Humans Way Better. June 14, 2023.

Santa Fe New Mexican. Expanding language beyond English benefit brains. July 11, 2023.

Barron News-Shield. 2010s: The benefits of bilingualism and biliteracy gain recognition through numerous studies. June 6, 2023.

Purdue Exponent. How English-language learner education has changed since the 1950s. June 5, 2023.

Behavioral Scientist. Behavioral Scientist’s Summer Book List 2023. June 5, 2023.

Next Big Idea Club. 7 Books that Reveal the Wonders of Writing and Language. June 3, 2023.

The India Times. Yes, haan, athe. Our multi-lingual world is a gift. May 21, 2023.

The Washington Post. AI, Indigenous languages and cocaine hippos. April 21, 2023.

The New Scientist. The Power of Language: What Speaking Many Languages Can Do. April 12, 2023.

Dialogue. Exploring the bilingual brain. Winter, 2023.

KERA Think. Want to Strengthen Your Brain? Learn Another Language. April 10, 2023.

Alaska Commons. The Impact of Speaking Multiple Languages On the Mind. April 6, 2023.

Euronews. “The Power of Language”: 5 ways multilingual brains work differently. April 5, 2023.

Literature Hub. 23 New Books Out Today. April 4, 2023.

Psychology Today. For bilinguals, identity is influenced by language. April 3, 2023.

Fast Company. Bilingual? You should try thinking problems through in two languages. March 31, 2023.

  • Translated into French for Slate. April 3, 2023.

Northwestern Now. Why Multilingualism is a “Superpower” March 24, 2023.

Publishers Weekly. Nonfiction Summer 2023 Reads. March 24, 2023.

Next Big Idea Club. April 2023 Must-Read Books. February 16, 2023.

Publishers Weekly. The Power of Language: How the Codes We Use to Think, Speak, and Live Transform our Minds. February 14, 2023.

Early Learning Nation. Bilingualism is a resource, not a disability. Education professionals need to follow the science. February 1, 2023.

Kirkus Reviews. The Power of Language: How the Codes We Use to Think, Speak, and Live Transform our Minds. January 25, 2023.

CelebWell. Love Island’s Lana Jenkins Just Shared Swimsuit Photo: “Here’s Some Sunshine” July 18, 2023.

IR Insider. European Union agrees to begin examining accession for Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia. March 10, 2022.

Medical News Today. Vaccine hesitancy: Why language matters. January 18, 2022.

Discover Magazine. How learning a language changes your brain. May 5, 2021.

Lancaster Online. US children should be taught a second language. December 13, 2020.

Dialogue. Seeing the world through a bilingual brain. Winter, 2019.

Experience Life. Why adults can — and should — learn a second language. June, 2018.

Chicago Tribune. The other Yanny vs. Laurel: How learning a 2nd language alters sensory perception. May 25, 2018.

Northwestern News. Learning a second language alters sensory perception, study finds. May 11, 2018.

World Economic Forum. Speaking more than one language can boost economic growth. February 6, 2018.

Bilingualism Matters. Myths and Misconceptions in Multilingualism. November 22, 2017.

Medical News Today. Bilingualism: What happens in the brain? October 4, 2017.

Psychology Today. When you see objects, you think words. June 23, 2015.

Northwestern Magazine. Benefits of bilingualism. Spring, 2015.

Huffington Post. Bilingual people may have more efficient brains. November 13, 2014.

The Economist. Variety makes you (mentally) fit. October 17, 2014.

The Santa Barbara Independent. The bilingual advantage. February 6, 2014.

Psychology Today. When bilinguals listen. September 21, 2013.

Psychology Today. Forgotten? Try your other language. July 3, 2013.

The Neuron Club. Cerebrum article. November 2, 2012.

New Scientist. Bilingual brain boost: Two tongues, two minds. May 8, 2012.

Other media coverage on specific research topics

Our research on the bilingual brain (top of page)

FrMedBook. Bilinguisme: Que se passe-t-il dans le cerveau? June 13, 2018.

Daily Journal. School desk: The power of being bilingual. September 29, 2017

Washington Post. Study shows that people who speak two languages have more efficient brains. November 18, 2014.

Discovery News. Bilingual people are like brain ‘bodybuilders’. November 13, 2014.

Fox News. People who speak two languages have more efficient brains, study says. November 13, 2014.

Medical Daily. Bilingual benefits: How learning another language keeps your mind sharp, no matter your age. November 12, 2014.

Northwestern News. Bilingual brains better equipped to process information. November 7. 2014.

La Presse. Le cerveau des gens bilingues traite mieux l’information. November 12, 2014.

Scinexx. Zweisprachigkeit wirkt wie Gehirnjogging. November 13, 2014.

Live Science, PBS, Daily Mail, TIME, El Castellano, Scope Stanford Medicine, Government Executive, ScienceBlog, Tech Times, Counsel Heal, Medical Xpress, Laboratory Equipment, ECN Magazine, Big News Network, Voice of America, Yahoo News, Quartz, News Medical, Journal Metro, Red Orbit, Rujhaan, Twitter, Top Sante, Metro TV News, Pikiran Rakyat, BeritaSatu, RTL Belgium, Tribun News, Boas Noticias, VOA, Forskning .No, The Post Online, SBS Australia, TVcN, IOL, The Daily Northwestern, Inquisitr, Chief Learning Officer, Language Magazine, Biyoloji Günlüğü, Idiomatica, Golden Island Senorita

 

Our research on audio-visual integration in bilinguals (top of page)

Mind News. Bilingual people are better at sensory perception: Study. July 9, 2018.

Boston Herald. Language helps determine what we hear. June 1, 2018.

The Peterborough Examiner. The Yanny vs. Laurel question. May 31, 2018.

Valdosta Daily Times. The other Yanny vs. Laurel: How learning a 2nd language alters sensory perception. May 30, 2018.

N+1. Билингвы услышали больше иллюзорных звуков из-за эффекта Макгурка. May 15, 2018.

Neuroscience News. Learning a second language alters sensory perception. May 14, 2018.

Daily Mail. Learning a second language can alter sensory perception: Study shows the ability makes you hear different sounds than monolingual people. May 14, 2018.

News Medical. Study: Learning a second language can change sensory perception. May 14, 2018.

Reliawire. Sensory perception is altered by learning a second language. May 14, 2018.

Medical Xpress. Learning a second language alters sensory perception, study finds. May 14, 2018.

Newswise. Learning a second language alters sensory perception, study finds. May 11, 2018.

Breaking News Time, Looooker, Next Observer, Fact New, Fourth Ventricle, Viral Global News, 15 Minute News, Knowridge, Bristol Herald Courier, The Pueblo Chieftain, Decatur Daily, The Hamilton Spectator, The Virgin Islands Daily News, Reading Eagle, Natural News, Brain News, Mind Body Science News, Research News, Nature Knows

 

Our research on neural and executive changes in bilinguals (top of page)

Experience Life. Why adults can – and should – learn a second language. June, 2018.

BBC News. Bilingual children ‘show advantage’ in noisy classrooms. October 13, 2014.

The Telegraph. Bilingual pupils ‘outperform their peers in noisy lessons’. October 14, 2014.

Huffington Post. Why it makes more sense than you know to learn a second language. June 13, 2013.

U.S. News & World Report. More evidence bilingualism aids thinking skills. April 30, 2012.

The Atlantic. Bilingualism may boost attention, working memory. May 23, 2012.

BBC News. Being bilingual ‘boosts brain power’. May 1, 2012.

NBC Latino. Being bilingual improves ear function, says study. April 30, 2012.

Health Magazine. More evidence bilingualism aids thinking skills. April 30, 2012.

The Guardian, MTL Blog, Metro, Headline & Global News (HNGN), Scientific American Blog, Repubblica, Italy, News.Nederlands (NU.NL), Wall Street Journal, National Institutes of Health, Center for Applied Second Language Studies, The ASHA Leader, The Washington Post, Wired, Association for Psychological Science, The Wall Street Journal Blog, Daily Northwestern, TopNews Arab Emirates, Science 360, Evanston Now, MedIndia, EurekAlert!, Science Codex, Northwestern University News Center, Science Daily, Pedia Staff, MedicalXpress, Breaking News English, Modern Ghana, The Daily Star, Many Years Young, UK Wired News, Everyday Health, Medicine Net, Drugs.com, DoctorsLounge.com, Education Week, Hartford Courant, Healthcare Today, BelleNews, Quantum Day, EurekAlert!, EuroGraduate, Net Doctor, Therapy Toronto News, SI English

 

Our research on language learning and control in bilinguals and monolinguals (Colbertian language) in the news (top of page)

Northwestern University News Center. Colbert helps open doors to bilingual research. July 9, 2012.

Los Angeles Times. Bilingualism: Stephen Colbert’s ‘truthiness’ inspires a language. July 13, 2012.

NBC. Researchers name invented language after Stephen Colbert. NBC Miami, NBC San Diego, NBC Philadelphia, NBC Bay Area, NBC Connecticut, NBC Southern California, NBC New York, NBC Washington, NBC Dallas-Fort Worth. July 11, 2012.

Evanston Now. Colbert helps open doors to bilingual research. July 10, 2012.

United Press International. New language inspired by Colbert. July 11, 2012.

Global Post. Colbertian: New language named after Stephen Colbert. July 11, 2012.

Colbertian News Hub. Researchers at Northwestern invent Colbertian. July 12, 2012.

Bilingualism Research Today. Linguistic link: Learn to speak Colbertian. July 12, 2012.

Comedy Central. Habla Colbertian? 2012.

New York Post. Weird but true. July 11, 2012.

Chicago Tribune. Stephen Colbert: The academic world’s obsession. July 11, 2012.

 

Our research on the bilingual advantage in language learning (top of page)

Northwestern University News Center. Exposure to two languages carries far-reaching benefits. May 20, 2009.

News Miner. Languages of the world get a taste of the mango. July 5, 2010.

AAAS EurekAlert! Exposure to 2 languages carries far-reaching benefits. May 19, 2009.

Headlines India. Bilinguals pick up foreign language faster. May 20, 2009.

Thaindian News. Bilinguals more adept in picking up foreign languages. May 20, 2009.

Medical News Today. The far-reaching benefits of exposure to 2 languages. May 20, 2009.

 

More about our lab research in the news (top of page)

CNN. How language is processed by your brain. August 16, 2016.

The Daily Northwestern. ISA hosts discussion on importance of bilingualism. November 10, 2011.

Northwestern University School of Communication. Viewbook. September 2011. [pdf]

Wikipedia: State-dependent learning, Context-dependent memory, Encoding specificity principle, Multilingualism.

United Press International. Commentary: Unique cues can bolster bilingual fluency. October 29, 2003.

Northwestern Magazine. Ru n2 im? Winter 2003.

APA Monitor on Psychology. Remembering in tongues. November 2000.

 

About social media (top of page)

Chicago Tribune. Going viral: The good, the bad, and the food for thought. May 22, 2018.

Republished in:

Madmoizelle. Les trouvailles d’Internet pour bien commencer la semaine #365. May 14, 2018.

Daily Mail. College professor goes viral with witty tweet about how many of her students’ grandparents ‘died’ when class was at 8am instead of 3pm, as she jokes that she ‘saved lives’ by changing the time. May 11, 2018.

LongRoom. Professor says grandparents died the semester she taught an 8am class. May 11, 2018.

Mandatory. This Week’s 20 Funniest Tweets 5-11-18. May 11, 2018.

The Herald. Ken Smith’s Diary: Spin a yarn; Having a word; Gingerly speaking. May 6, 2018.

 

Other (top of page)

The National Herald. We are what we speak: A case for learning Greek. August 15, 2020.

The Maroon. Opinion: Perhaps the most important skill Loyola can provide has little institutional support. January 22, 2020.

Narcity. Meghan & Prince Harry’s Move To Canada May Mean Archie Won’t Have His Father’s Accent.  January 13, 2020.

Bustle. Will Archie have an English accent or an American one? Here’s what two experts say. May 20, 2019.

The University of Edinburgh. Centres spread word on bilingualism benefits. March 19, 2019.

Northwestern DevSci Newsletter. DevSci Student Data Blitz. March 18, 2019.

Northwestern Now. New research center to support Chicago’s bilingual population. March 14, 2019.

The Native Influence, Viorica Marian. January 7, 2019.

Psy.CO. ¿Olvidado? Pruebe su otro idioma. June, 2018.

Stiri Pozitive, Profesoara moldoveanca din SUA, November 13, 2016.

Flacara TV, Diaspora moldava din SUA, May 1, 2015.

Green & Gold News, Alumni of Distinction: Viorica Marian, September 2, 2015.