According to health-based statistics, African Americans are more likely to develop dementia than other ethnicities as they age. The numbers show that over 21% of Black people who are 70 and over are living with Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, the Alzheimer’s Association reports that the disease can affect Black people 14 – 100% more than other ethnicities. Since it’s still not completely clear why that is, it’s essential to focus on what you can do to prevent the development or progression of dementia. One possibility is learning a second language.
You may have heard the phrase ‘exercise your brain’ but researchers advise that it’s not always helpful to think of the brain as a muscle. It’s not that simple. You might not be able to give your brain a workout but it’s possible to train it to be better at certain tasks.
Since dementia involves the loss of mental acuity, it made sense to study different areas that can have an impact on preventing this deterioration.
When looking for answers, the experts studied how bilingual people experienced dementia. The results showed that those who spoke a second language often delayed the progression of the disease by 5 – 7 years.
It was also noted that being bilingual was linked to performing better at cognitive tests, in general. Researchers estimate that this happens because they’ve grown accustomed to juggling two different languages. This thought also explains why those who are bilingual or multilingual are much better at multitasking.
While the studies continue, researchers are encouraging people who have or are at risk of developing dementia to harness the cognitive benefits of being bilingual. It’s not a cure, but learning another language may be an effective way to postpone your cognitive decline as the research continues.
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It might be easy to think that learning another language can’t be possible as an adult. Research says otherwise though. You can definitely learn a new language if you use certain tricks to help.
One thing you need to identify is how you learn. Some learners are successful with language websites – especially the ones that make it fun.
While there are multiple online options that you can use, some people find it easier to pick up languages through a teacher. It’s a good idea to look for courses in your area that will suit you.
Research also supports daily practice to build your language skills so make sure to make time for that. Even if you’re only taking classes a few times per week, you can still practice on your own.
If there are other people around you that speak the language you’re learning, that can be a great help too. Being around others even has the additional benefit of social interactions. Research shows that some adults have trouble adopting the accents that are associated with certain languages. However, interacting with those who already speak them can be a big help.
That leads to an important question – Which language should you learn? The answer, of course, isn’t set in stone. There’s no one great language that works for everyone, so this is another way online teaching platforms can come in handy. They’re a great way to try a few languages out to see what works for you.
Finally, don’t give up if things don’t go as quickly as you thought they would. You’re learning something new and that always takes time.
It’s clear that learning a second language can make a significant difference when you want to prevent or delay dementia. Though this is a serious matter, it doesn’t mean you can’t have fun while learning. The essential thing is that you put in the effort.
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