Do This and Keep Your Brain Sharp

It's no secret that knowing a second language brings multiple benefits. You're able to get around more easily if you visit a country in which that language is spoken, you can communicate with friends and family who speak that language, and you might even have an advantage in the job market.

But did you know that speaking a second language actually boosts your cognitive abilities and staves off dementia?

Scientists at the Rotman Research Institute and York University in Toronto have concluded that speaking two languages regularly throughout the lifespan leads to gains in attention span and concentration while delaying the symptoms of dementia by an average of 4.3 years.

The reason? People who switch between two languages on a day-to-day basis are not only regularly translating words but also ideas and concepts, which stimulates certain areas of the brain and keeps them functioning well for longer periods of time. Much as an athlete who cross-trains stays agile physically, people who immerse themselves in two languages retain mental agility.

This latest research is in sharp contrast to the prevailing beliefs of yesteryear, when immigrant families in the United States encouraged children to speak only English. They believed that speaking two languages would be confusing and, in many cases, were simply desperate to shed all vestiges of their previous lives and become true Americans.

But by the 1960s, scientists realized that it was the bilingual children who actually scored higher on standardized tests. What can you do to ensure that you remain fluent in more than one language? Here are some options:

Intensive language programs. Children as young as preschool age can benefit from enrolling in schools that offer language immersion.

Setting language rules at home. You may want to speak only one particular language with certain family members so that everyone stays cognitively challenged.

Visits to other countries. There's nothing like spending time in a foreign land to encourage true fluency.

Can you learn a second language later in life? It's certainly possible, although acknowledged to be more difficult than picking it up as a child. But it may be worth doing-researchers say that becoming bilingual as an adult may offer some protection against cognitive decline, although not as much as if you learned two languages in childhood.