Kaustubh S. Mayekar

 

Speaking more than two languages not only fortify your social image but also your brain, a research said.

 

Later in life, our cognition is enhanced by being bilingual. People, who speak one language at the initial stage in their lives and then acquire second language in adulthood, age at a very slow rate, the research found. Moreover, bilingualism not only improves cognition but also deprives dementia.

 

"Our study is the first to examine whether learning a second language impacts cognitive performance later in life while controlling for childhood intelligence," said lead author Thomas Bak from University of Edinburgh.

 

While prior research has investigated the impact of learning more languages than one, ruling out "reverse causality" has proved difficult. "The crucial question is whether people improve their cognitive functions through learning new languages or whether those with better baseline cognitive functions are more likely to become bilingual," Bak asked.

 

To level up the research, researchers utilized data of 835 native English speakers who were born and brought up in Edinburgh, Scotland. Out of 835 participants, 262 were able to communicate in at least one language other than English."The findings indicate that those who spoke two or more languages had significantly better cognitive abilities," the researchers added.

 

The essence of bilingualism reflected in reading and general intelligence. The outcome appeared same, no matter when an individual acquire second language – early or late. This study was published in the ‘Annals of Neurology’.

 

"These findings are of considerable practical relevance. 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," Bak concluded.