About this Event
On December 16, we present in Ottawa : "The Bilingual Brain: Does Speaking Two Languages Make You Smarter?" by Prof. Laura Sabourin
Expect a fascinating evening exploring what happens inside your brain when you speak more than one language — and whether being bilingual really gives you a cognitive edge.
Ever wondered what happens inside your brain when you casually switch from “bonjour” to “how are you?” Living in Ottawa, code-switching is practically part of everyday life. But what is your brain actually doing when it moves between languages?
Researchers have long explored the idea of a bilingual advantage: the possibility that speaking multiple languages can strengthen skills like mental flexibility, attention, and memory. But how does the brain manage two languages at once, and what does the science really tell us about the benefits?
In this fascinating lecture, Prof. Laura Sabourin takes us inside the bilingual brain to explore how multiple languages are represented and processed. Drawing on experiments in cognitive science, she'll unpack how our brains navigate words, sentences, and constant language switching, as well as how speaking more than one language may influence the executive functions we use to focus, adapt, and manage competing information.
Drawing on the linguistic experiences of Ottawa's bilingual and Franco-Ontarian communities, this lecture brings the science of language to life.
Does speaking two languages really make your brain better at multitasking? And is there such a thing as a bilingual advantage?
💡 About the incredible Prof. Laura Sabourin
Prof. Laura Sabourin is a Full Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Ottawa, where she also directs the ERP Linguistics Lab.
Her research examines how language is represented in the monolingual, bilingual, and multilingual brain. She studies how we process language at both the word and sentence levels, as well as how speaking more than one language relates to executive function skills.
She holds a BA in Linguistics from McGill University, an MSc in Psycholinguistics from the University of Alberta, and a PhD in Behavioural and Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. She subsequently completed postdoctoral research in Psychology departments at the University of British Columbia and the University of Oregon.
Join us for an evening exploring the remarkable science of the bilingual brain — and discover what might be happening inside your head every time you switch languages.
📅 Date: December 9th, 2026
🕡 Time: 6:30 – 8:30 PM
📍 Location: The Senate Tavern on Clarence
🎤 Speaker: Prof. Laura Sabourin
🎟 Seats are limited!
Event venue & nearby stays
The Senate Tavern on Clarence, 33 Clarence Street, Ottawa, Canada
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