Multiple scientists addressed this interesting phenomenon
during the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of
Science in 2011. Ellen Bialystok of the York University in Toronto (Canada)
pointed out that bilinguals seem to maintain
better cognitive function (than monolinguals) as the human body begins its
natural decline in old age. The research she carried out with Craik and
Freedman shows that bilingualism even has a positive effect on slowing down dementia in the aging
brain. They researched a group of patients with similar levels of cognitive
impairment. Those that were bilingual had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s about
four years later, on average, than those who spoke just one language. So at the
same level of impairment, bilinguals are older, which shows they have been able
to cope better with the disease. An important theory in explaining this is that
speaking different languages keeps the mind active in the same way puzzles and
games do, and works toward compensating for the build-up of the
dementia-causing pathology in the brain.
Judith Kroll, researcher at Pennsylvania State University,
said that bilinguals are also better than monolinguals at multitasking. Switching from one language to another helps
bilinguals to ignore irrelevant information and prioritize tasks better than
monolinguals. This makes sense considering that when a bilingual person speaks
one language, the other language is still potentially active. Speakers of
multiple languages are constantly inhibiting multiple languages in favor of the
one they are currently using. This statement is supported by a research on the
effects of bilingualism on children. Bilingual children appear to make better choices based on
conflicting information than monolingual children. Because a concept can be
expressed differently in various languages, bilingual children know from early
on that form and meaning are arbitrary. They learn to choose the correct word
from the words they know depending on the context.
The results of these studies are supported by a research
conducted by the researches from the University College London. They studied
the brains of 105 people of whom 80 were bilingual. They found that learning
other languages altered grey matter (the area of the brain which processes
information) in the same way exercise builds muscles. Other benefits of
multilingualism include an enhanced short-term
memory capacity and problem-solving
capability. Mainly due to enhanced mental flexibility. This involves neural
pathways being opened up, which extends the capacity to think and opens access
to different avenues for thought.
In terms of starting to learn a new language in a later
stage in your life, the likelihood of becoming a fluent speaker is low, but it
seems like every little bit helps in
preventing cognitive decline. And proficiency may be more important than the
age of acquisition according to Judith Kroll. So don’t wait and start to learn a new
language and give your brain that workout that it’s been longing for.
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