Apart from the fact that it’s obviously useful to know more than one language, recent research has also shown that it has a positive effect on your brain. So as well as broadening your personal experience and providing access to different cultures, it can help to develop cognitive skills unrelated to language and protect against dementia in later life.
So those of you who have chosen to wait before teaching your children a second language, think again. Although learning two languages at the same time may sometimes confuse young children, in the long run the benefits far outweigh any possible confusion.
According to an article in the New York Times by Yudhijit Bhattacharjee (March, 2012), bilingualism is related to an increase in cognitive abilities: “It forces the brain to resolve internal conflict, giving the mind a workout that strengthens its cognitive muscles”. This contributes to the acquisition of skills in problem solving and concept formation, enabling bilinguals to prioritize, multi-task and think about things in a new way.
Not only do bilinguals benefit during the developmental stages of childhood, but bilingualism also appears to make the elderly more resistant to dementia and other symptoms of Alzheimer’s.
Evidence that speaking more than one language delays the onset of Alzheimer’s was presented by a group of Canadian researchers. Tom Schweizer, who headed the research at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, declared that although bilingualism does not prevent the disease, people who speak more than one language only show signs of Alzheimer’s when they have twice as much brain damage as people who speak only one language.
Ellen Bialystok, a psychologist at York University in Toronto, found that bilingual patients reported onset of symptoms 5.1 years later than monolingual patients. There is no medicine available that can produce similar results.
The effect was greatest among people who use two languages every day and make choices about words constantly. Bialystok believes, however, that “every little bit helps”, so continuing to practice a language learnt at school was also helpful.
So if you’re a monolingual adult, don’t despair – you may still be able to reap the benefits of learning a second language.
Apparently there are no disadvantages to being bilingual whereas the benefits are evident at all stages of life.