It is a well-known fact that bilingualism can be a big help in certain areas throughout one’s life, but it would seem that it saves its greatest benefits for old age. In addition to boosting concentration and attention, as well as rounding out a person’s knowledge and culture, studies have shown that learning a language delays the onset of the first symptoms of Alzheimer’s.
According to The Guardian, it is possible that bilinguals enjoy four more years of life without symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, compared with those who only speak one language. This does not mean that you would not end up suffering from the condition, but simply that you are likely to be older when it begins to manifest itself.
Ellen Bialystok, a psychologist at York University in Toronto, studied the phenomenon, as she compared monolingual with bilingual individuals, and discovered that Alzheimer’s disease was diagnosed, on average, 4.3 years later in people who spoke more than one language, with symptoms appearing 5.1 years later. The research is inconclusive, but it certainly heralds good news to those who have mastered two or more languages.
At Trusted Translations we support all efforts that may prove conducive to preventing the onset of the disease, and as a firm we offer translations to over 200 language pairs (though, unfortunately, we still do not have a translator who speaks 200 languages). Do not hesitate to contact us for a free quote, and, while you are at it, you may want to dust off those old language books from school!
To read the original Spanish post go to:
https://www.trustedtranslations.com/como-los-idiomas-pueden-prevenir-el-alzheimer-2012-09-18.html
