If you’re terrified of your brain slowing down as you age, fire up a language learning app or immerse yourself in a different culture for a while. A new study published in Nature Aging suggests that speaking multiple languages could slow the aging process, keeping your mind younger for longer.
Researchers examined data from more than 86,000 people aged 51 to 90 across 27 European countries. They found that people who only spoke one language were nearly twice as likely to experience accelerated aging.
Folks who could flip between at least two tongues had roughly half the risk. The benefits even scale up with each new language added. Polyglots aren’t just showboating at parties; they’ll probably live long enough to boast about their multi-language abilities deep into old age.
Study Finds Speaking Multiple Languages May Help Slow the Aging Process
The question then becomes, why does learning a language seem to keep your brain elastic and your body younger? The theory is that switching vocabularies, grammar systems, and cultural contexts keeps your brain limber. All that neurological cross-training does for the brain what regular exercise does to the body.
The researchers admit the connection isn’t perfect. Countries where multilingualism is common often also have other health-boosting habits, such as Mediterranean diets, strong social ties, and more active daily lives.
But even after controlling for factors such as age, health, and environment, the advantage held by the multilingual remained strong, suggesting a tangible benefit to learning multiple languages beyond the intrinsic value of a deeper understanding of different cultures.
All this is good news for much of the world, where being bilingual is the norm. The news is a little less rosy for English-speaking countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, where roughly three-quarters of the population speaks only English.
With brain-deteriorating ailments like dementia on the rise, it’s probably time to break out your Duolingo app or your old Rosetta Stone language learning system. Or maybe watch some telenovelas.
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