Why Bilingualism Slows Aging
Delays Dementia, Enhances Attention, Builds Cognitive Reserve
The debate on whether to expose children to bilingualism is a hot one. While some argue that learning more than one language can confuse a child, others paint an entirely different picture. Recent studies show that children exposed to bilingualism at an early age are not only more creative and focused, they are also building cognitive reserve that slows the aging process during their senior years. Increasing evidence shows that strong mental abilities in the senior years are related to lifestyle factors (like bilingualism) adopted during childhood.
Bilingualism Delays Dementia
Canadian scientists at the Baycrest Centre for Aging and the Brain have discovered that children who learn more than one language at an early age are more likely to delay dementia symptoms in their senior years. Examining the diagnostic records of Baycrest’s Memory Clinic between 2002 and 2005, researchers found that the average age of onset for dementia in the monolingual group was 71.4 years; in the bilingual group, the average age of onset was 75.5 years. This difference remained consistent even after consideration was made for cultural and gender differences, formal education and employment.
Bilingualism Enhances Attention
In another study, researchers found that bilingualism enhanced seniors’ ability to focus attention on tasks. Dr. Ellen Bialystok, Professor of Psychology at York University in Toronto,Canada, found that young and older adults, who were bilingual since childhood, were more capable than their monolingual counterparts at managing their attention during the Simon Task, an experimental procedure that deliberately distracts the test takers. The Simon Task measures reaction time and cognitive processing that decline with age. Researchers conclude that the ability to focus on a stimulus while ignoring extraneous and irrelevant information may work the same cognitive control processes used by the brain to negotiate between two languages.
Bilingualism Builds Cognitive Reserve
Perhaps the best explanation for the effects of bilingualism on aging is the concept of cognitive reserve. Aging brings with it cognitive decline; attention and memory functions slow down. The ability to speak more than one language at an early age imparts a protective effect on the aging brain because it builds what scientists call “cognitive reserve.” Cognitive reserve is the ability of the brain to be more neuroplastic and flexible than normal because the demands made on it at an early age (through bilingualism) have enhanced its ability to rewire and compensate for aging and dysfunctional neurons.
The message is clear: any task that makes unusual demands on an organ, be it brain tissue or muscle, develops its efficiency. It seems that the earlier the demand is made, the better the condition of the organ. What better rationale is there for bilingualism and early language immersion in the primary grades?
Human Brain Cognitive Reserve
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