For most people, learning a second language is a pursuit taken up out of necessity rather than for the honorable love of learning. Students may find the courses a required part of their educational curriculum. Professionals need to be able to communicate with others on a global stage. Both are very important reasons for delving into a foreign language.
But, it seems learning a second language has an added benefit far greater than the immediate goals of the learner. In addition to better grades or more lucrative business deals, a second language may actually help fight the symptoms of dementia and other types of illnesses affecting memory including Alzheimer’s disease. Research has shown a direct link between bilinguals and delayed onset of memory loss symptoms. People who spoke two or more languages began suffering symptoms up to four years later than their monolingual counterparts. While a second language isn’t a cure for dementia and won’t stop the effects of the disease, the brains of multilinguals were better equipped to cope with the initial signs and symptoms.
How Does This Work?
While scientists are still searching for all the definitive answers to the brain, they have uncovered some interesting information on its inner workings particularly with regard to studying an additional language. As with the muscles in your body which you exercise to make stronger, the brain responds to increased activity. Learning a language other than that of your mother tongue increases the brain’s size and in essence rewires some of the cognitive functions performed. It is this rewiring, this forming of a redundant cognitive system which allows the brain to function that much longer for individuals prone to these types of illnesses.
Do I Have to Be Fluent to Reap the Benefits?
There is no quantitative evidence to determine the correlation between skill level and the delay of dementia symptoms. The current studies have only dealt with individuals who had some degree of proficiency. That being said, it is believed that people who learn a new language can reap some if not all of the benefits as a fluent individual. And, just like those pushups in gym class, if you haven’t done anything since the 10th grade, you’re probably no longer seeing any real benefits. It’s time to dust off the thinking cap and get to work.
Scientist are continuing to study the effects learning an additional language has on the brain to better understand which language combinations produce the greatest cognitive protection. For example, if a person learns two Romance Languages will he reap the same benefits as an individual learning English and Russian? Such studies may eventually point to a therapeutic treatment for memory illnesses to enhance the results of the chemical treatments now available. For now, if you truly want to combat the fear of dementia, try enrolling in a language class.
