Before you read…

In your opinion, what helps us stay healthy as we grow older? For example, are there any special foods to eat, or exercises to do?

Useful vocabulary

• take up (phrasal verb): start to do, become interested in
• onset (noun): the start of something
• cognitive (adjective)/cognition (noun): the process of getting knowledge
• baseline (noun): a starting point for making comparisons
• aging/ageing (adjective): growing old

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Learning second language ‘slows brain ageing’

Learning a second language can have a positive effect on the brain, even if it is taken up in adulthood, a University of Edinburgh study suggests.  A previous study suggested that being bilingual could delay the onset of dementia by several years. The study is published in Annals of Neurology.

The big question in this study was whether learning a new language improved cognitive functions or whether individuals with better cognitive abilities were more likely to become bilingual.  Dr Thomas Bak, from the Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, said he believed he had found the answer.

The findings indicate that those who spoke two or more languages had significantly better cognitive abilities compared to what would have been expected from their baseline test.  The strongest effects were seen in general intelligence and reading. The effects were present in those who learned their second language early, as well as later in life.

Dr Bak said the pattern they found was “meaningful”.  “Millions of people around the world acquire their second language later in life. Our study shows that bilingualism, even when acquired in adulthood, may benefit the aging brain.”

In your own words…

How has learning a second language changed you?

“Learning second language ‘slows brain ageing”. Health. BBC News. 2 Jun 2014. Web. 5 Aug 2014.