A fascinating study has suggested that children who speak more than one language may protect the brain against the effects of ageing.
The study published in the journal Psychology and Ageing found that kids who speak a second or third language may have an unexpected advantage over monolingual later in life.
Knowing and speaking many languages may protect the brain against the effects of ageing, suggested the research at the Tel Aviv University. The team of researchers led by Gitit Kav, a clinical neuro-psychologist from the Herczeg Institute on Ageing at Tel Aviv University, discovered that senior citizens who speak more languages test for better cognitive functioning.
The research, which surveyed people between the ages of 75 and 95 and compared bilingual speakers to tri-and multilingual speakers, found that more languages a person spoke, the better his or her cognitive state was, the Science Daily Online reported the study as suggesting.
A person who speaks more languages is likely to be more clear-minded at an older age, Kav says, in effect exercising his or her brain more than those who are monolingual.
However, she advised caution, saying: There is no sure-fire recipe for avoiding the pitfalls of mental ageing. But using a second or third language may help prolong the good years.
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