Delays Dementia And Bilingualism

Having the ability to speak more than one language influences one’ life deeply. Speaking two or more languages can affect someone from being infants to old age. Bhattacharjee continues with, “The bilingual experience appears to influence the brain from infancy to old age (and there

al., 2010). While individuals with ADHD may be hindered in working memory, bilinguals are noted to have better executive skills and thus better working memory. According to the article, "Effects of classroom bilingualism on task-shifting, verbal memory, and word learning in children", bilingual individuals outperform monolingual individuals on tasks involving verbal working memory (Kaushanskaya et al., 2014). Moreover, it is shown that bilingual performance relative to monolinguals increases with more difficult tasks. These results were interpreted that bilinguals perform better than monolinguals in these tasks because bilinguals may have a greater executive functioning , specifically controlling attention, than monolinguals. As proposed in "Bilingual brain training: A neurobiological framework of how bilingual experience improves executive function", bilingual practice enhance the key functions of the basal ganglia- "the capacity of selecting the appropriate rules in response to very specific conditions, and the capacity of overriding habitual responses encoded within cortico-cortical connections" (Stocco,

Communication, education, buying, selling, asking for directions, businesses transactions, etc, are all reasons why language is necessary. However, there could easily be a barrier between people that can impede on and dictate how these interactions will progress without the correct language. Bilingualism or multilingualism is a common asset that most of the people in the world use and rely on every day. Bilingualism will be described in this paper as the ability to speak two or more languages proficiently, however bilingualism and multilingualism will be used interchangeably. The second (or nth) language can be acquired at home at a young age (for example, if the parents/caregiver

There are approximately 6,500 different languages in the world, and knowing more than one may help a lot more than just communicating with others or getting a better job. Whether a person is bilingual, multilingual, or even a polyglot learning languages can have massive impacts on a person’s brain. People are always looking for ways to be smarter, have more focus, and perform better on tests. Languages might be the answer. Scientists have found that learning languages can offset Alzheimer’s and dementia, increase brain size and connectivity, and improve overall brain function.

This reference highlights the importance of learning two languages simultaneously. How one language can be addressed to be more competent for a specific purpose such as; writing, listening, reading and speaking (Francis, 2012, ch.1). Children who grow up in bilingual settings the second language is rarely optional, in fact, it is a necessity for the policy of that particular location. For instance, a Latino family will raise its child with the language they are familiar with such as Spanish. The location in which they raise their child will play a fundamental role towards the linguistic speech that area prefers to educate the child. The setting being an English speaking institute will deliver the skills and ability needed for that child to

A Spain University of Pompeu Fabra made a study that shows bilingual speakers are better at observing their surroundings. They are more capable of focusing on things around them and on the relative information rather than the irrelevant one ( Anne Merritt 2013).According to another study at the University of Chicago bilingual individuals make more rational decisions.Bilingual people are more confident in their choices after thinking it over in the second language and trying to see if the conclusion will still remain the same. (Anne Marritt 2013).

1 Emmorey, Karen, GiGi Luk, Jennie Pyers, and Ellen Bialystok (2008): The Source of Enhanced Cognitive Control in Bilinguals. Psychological Science.

The connection between bilingualism and cognitive functioning has been greatly studied in the field of psychology. It is believed that people who speak more than one language have enhanced cognitive abilities, compared to monolinguals, which put them at an exceptional level of being communicatively and perceptually successful in life. However, in order to study such abilities that bilingual individuals might have in greater depth it is important to look at development specifically and where it all begins in youth. With this type of research, we will be able to make conclusions about how such predispositions during childhood could have beneficial effects on these individuals later on in life. Therefore, we assume that children who grow up and are raised speaking more than one language possess better executive functioning, specifically in the areas of working memory and attention, compared to monolingual children.

There are many positive effects that introducing a second language can have on a child’s brain development and activity. This experience improves the child’s cognitive development as well as other brain functions. According to certified neurologist, Judy Willis, many studies have found that children who have been exposed to a foreign language for five to ten years have greater focus and cognition. These benefits are primarily due to the higher levels of activity in the prefrontal cortex network. Willis also states that executive functions in the brains of bilingual children also tend to be more active. These networks boost goal-oriented behaviors. Individuals who have grown up bilingual are also proven to perform better academically, are better at problem solving, do better on standardized tests, and become more confident individuals compared to monolingual individuals.

A study conducted at Annals of Neurology, suggests that a bilingual brain can stay sharper at an older age, compared to monolinguals. The participants were first language English speakers who had previously taken an intelligence test at the age of 11, the same participants were then asked to re-take the test during their early 70’s. Researchers found that participants who spoke multiple languages (bilinguals) achieved a higher score than participants who spoke a single language

The term bilingualism refers to the ability of knowing and delivering more than one language. Throughout the years society has evolved and developed in such a way that the majority of the world is now multilingual. Once a up on a time bilingualism was considered harmful to one’s development and IQ. This happened at the beginning of the century, haw ever since then we have conducted numerous researches studies that proves this wrong. Today bilingualism is often seen as a brain-sharpening benefit, a condition that can protect and preserve cognitive function well into old age.

Due to the increased migration and globalization, the shift in linguistic demographics and the advent of multiculturalism sparked researchers’ interest to investigate the cognitive mechanism behind bilingualism. Whether bilingualism has significant imprint on the development is still premature to conclude with absolute certainty. However, with rich theoretical background, growing number of empirical evidence supports the undeniable perk of bilingualism in various realms of cognitive development. Despite the on-going debate over the benefit of bilingualism, bilingualism became an emerging topic among researchers and scholars like Ellen Bialystok, Stephanie Carlson, and Albert Costa have been conducting research exploring the mechanism of bilingualism and executive functions. After all, Vygotsky also argued that bilingualism may have positive impact on human mind (Vygotsky, 1962).

Approximately 7 years ago, my grandmother got diagnosed with both Alzheimer’s and Dementia. From the beginning, doctors were quite explicit in stating how lucky she was to be bilingual because it will help preserve her cognitive functioning and delay her onset of symptoms, as is explored in a review by Bialstok, Craik, and Luk (2012). However, the concept of bilingualism helping cognitive functioning seems to be a topic of debate, challenged recently in a review by Paap, Johnson, and Sawi.

Speaking two languages rather than just one has obvious practical benefits in an increasingly globalized world. But in recent years, scientists have begun to show that the advantages of bilingualism are even more fundamental than being able to converse with a wider range of people. It can have a profound effect on your brain, improving skills not related to language and even shielding against dementia in old age.

If only one knew that bilingualism helps the brain in many different ways, perhaps they would've kept watching Dora when they were younger. Bilingualism is the ability to speak two languages. The world is filled with many different cultures that have been widespread throughout the entire globe since the existence and development of the earliest of languages. During this time, nations would come in contact with one another (mostly by surprise and force) and cultures would soon be jumbled up with other cultures. Because of this, it was normal for many to be brought up in an environment with multiple languages being used. This is very prevalent in areas such as Europe, Africa, and Asia where there are many neighboring countries near each other’s borders. Here in the United States, there are many languages from foreign countries ranging from Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese, being spoken from those who have immigrated to the states. It can be very helpful and useful to learn a second language in order to communicate with other people from foreign countries that still aren’t familiar with the native English language. Other than this, becoming bilingual comes with a handful of benefits for the brain. As a result of learning a new language, one can find improvements in brain functionality such as decision making and focus, the regression of diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s, and also an improved perception. These can help with mental stability and making sure that the