Learning languages can sharpen brain
Multilingualism Can Address
Dementia, Make Kids Smarter
 Bangalore:
Know two languages and more? This can possibly have positive
effects on your brain. Scientists say bilingualism or
multilingualism can address dementia in old people and can make
children smarter. A study published in the Psychological Science
journal of Journal of Association for Psychological Science
shows that children who know two languages more easily solve
problems than others. They process words faster than others.
The study also reveals that knowledge of a second language,
even one learned in adolescence, affects how people read in
their native tongue. The findings suggest that after learning a
second language, people never look at words the same way again.
The brains of those who knew dual language processed the
dual language words more quickly than words found only in their
native language. The study which was published in January 2010
shows that even when a person is reading in his or her native
language, there is an influence of knowledge of the non-dominant
second language.
Further, the study shows that the ability to speak a second
language isn’t the only thing that distinguishes bilingual
people from their monolingual counterparts. It also demonstrates
that their brains work differently. Bilingualism, and in fact
multilingualism, is the norm in the Indian subcontinent. A large
population not only speaks two languages but our educational
system also requires that children learn to read two languages
written in different scripts. Agreed National Brain Research
Centre, Neurobiology of Bilingualism, associate professor
Nandini Chatterjee: “In India we are not just bilingual but are
multilingual too. Here people are not only bilingual but also
biliterate and ours is the only country where children learn
early to speak two languages and also to write.’’
HEAD STRONG
Multilingualism helps in:
General learning Complex thinking and creativity Mental
flexibility Interpersonal and communication skills Delaying
onset of age-related ailments like dementia
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