Learning another language can be a difficult task, especially for adults. The easiest way to learn a language is while the brain is still in the developmental stage or while you are young and still growing. Even if it is harder to learn a language when you are older, there is still great benefit in developing a new skill set.
According to NBC4, “Speaking two or more languages helps protect your brain as you age, even if you learn new languages as an adult, new research suggests.”
A study conducted in the 1930’s included 835 people born in Scotland 1936 whose original language is English. They were then given mental skills test at the age of 11 and again in their early 70s. 262 participants able to speak two or more languages, 195 learned a second language before the age of 18, and the rest after that age.
As expected, participants with the ability to speak and/or write in more than one language had much higher results when they were older from the tests they took when they were younger. Areas that included general intelligence and reading had shown the largest results in comparison to other areas.
According to study author Dr. Thomas Bak, from the Centre for Cognitive Aging and Cognitive Epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, this study is the first to take into account for childhood intelligence while examining whether learning a second language affects mental skills later in life.
“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 in a journal news release.
Learning a second language further develops your general intelligence, and reading/writing skills. The ability to understand another language is a skill set valued by many. At Access 2 Interpreters we are exclusively dedicated to filling your interpretation and translation needs. We provide Face-to-Face Interpretation Services in over 70 languages throughout Columbus, Central Ohio, and Ohio. We also provide Telephone Interpretation Services in over 180 languages and Translation Services in over 50 languages nationwide. Learn more about our translation and interpretation services and contact us for inquiries.