Language
"There
is nothing new except what has been forgotten" -
Marie Anoinette
Learn a second
language for the sake of your health
A study conducted by the
University of Edinburgh has determined that learning a
second language, even in later life, may aid cognition and
even delay the onset of some forms of dementia by several
years.
An article by the
American Neurological Association,
published online: 2 JUN 2014 stated:
"Recent evidence
suggests a positive impact of bilingualism on cognition,
including later onset of dementia. However, monolinguals and
bilinguals might have different baseline cognitive ability.
We present the first study examining the effect of
bilingualism on later-life cognition controlling for
childhood intelligence. We studied 853 participants, first
tested in 1947 (age = 11
years), and retested in 2008–2010. Bilinguals performed
significantly better than predicted from their baseline
cognitive abilities, with strongest effects on general
intelligence and reading. Our results suggest a positive
effect of bilingualism on later-life cognition, including in
those who acquired their second language in adulthood.
"
Our
article examines this study and suggests that this
conclusion should not perhaps be too surprising.
|