Wrinkles, gray hair, failing eyesight, brittle bones. As the saying
goes, getting old is not for sissies. Most of the bodily changes that
come with aging have remedies. They can’t be completely avoided or
cured, but they can be compensated for to a degree. You can get stronger
glasses, or bifocals. You can color your hair, if vanity demands it.
You can take calcium to stave off osteoporosis. But what can you do
about memory loss and dementia, specifically Alzheimer’s Disease? You
can learn a second language.
According to the National Institute on Aging, somewhere between 2.4 and 5.1 million Americans suffer from
Alzheimer’s Disease. Those numbers will only continue to increase as
the Baby Boom generation ages. The number of people aged 65 and older is
estimated to reach 72 million by the year 2030.
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s Disease, but recent studies are showing
that bilingual people do not suffer from the disease the same way
monolingual people do. In bilingual people, the onset of the disease
happens much later, and although they have similar physical symptoms,
their mental acuity remains better, longer. Learning a foreign language
can do a lot to preserve brain function.
How exactly does learning a language do this? As your brain works to
incorporate the new vocabulary and conversational skills, new neural
pathways are created,
improving brain and memory function. The same way exercise helps keep
your heart healthy, exercising your brain with language lessons helps it
fight off Alzheimer’s Disease.
It may sound like a daunting task, especially with how busy our lives
can be, but incorporating language learning is not as hard as you might
think. Spanish, for example, is one of the fastest growing languages in
America; perhaps you can get your company to pay for Spanish lessons
if it’s to promote job growth. If this isn’t an option, paying for
classes and purchasing textbooks can be very expensive and
time-consuming. Audio-based programs are nice because you can play them
in your car or while exercising and there are many free tutorials
online.
Language lessons are no substitute for professional medical care, and
they’re not a cure. There may be many who will try to offer cures to
those who are desperate—don’t fall for them. But prevention is always
preferable to treatment after the fact. Aerobic exercise can help you
avoid taking medication for high blood pressure. Wouldn’t you rather
engage in a safe, fun activity that can keep your brain healthy and help
you avoid taking expensive medication for the rest of your life, or worse, losing the ability to recognize family and friends?
Commit to learning a new language, and keeping your brain young and
healthy. And it’s never too early to start, either. Encourage your kids
and other family members to take language lessons and fight off memory
loss. Besides, once you learn your second language, you’ll need someone
to practice with, so make it a family project. You’ll feel great knowing
you did something good for your family, and for yourself.
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