Question: how will your work benefiet us

Wilhelmiina Toivo answered on 8 Mar 2017:

I’m looking at how speaking multiple languages changes the way you think and feel in them. Bilinguals in general feel less in their second language. In the world where so many people live abroad and move around, this is a really interesting topic and understanding it can, for example, help immigrants settle to their new home country better and feel less pressure about the language aspect of their new life. Understanding these effects can also help multilingual families in their communication.

More concrete examples can be found in advertising or moral choices: some types of emotion-based advertisements can affect bilinguals less in their second language, and it is also easier for bilinguals to think rationally in their second language. Also, it has been found switching between languages in therapy can help bilinguals work through very difficult and emotional things.