Speaking more than one language is better for children – and for those who are at risk of dementia,say researchers heading bilingualism projectIt is an impending extinction that will change the world and how people communicate: within 20 years, half of all the planets languages will be dead.
Experts agree that nothing can conclude it happening but one academic is trying her hardest to slow it down, and to support preserve what may be piece of a golden ticket for our brains. Professor Antonella Sorace – a Sardinian who was discouraged from learning her own dying language in favour of “proper” Italian – is one of a growing number who believe learning a second language has enormous untapped benefits for the human brain. This is true not only for young children but also for adults and people at risk from dementia,where research consistently shows that learning a fresh language could delay the onset of the disease for four to five years – a better result than with any medication to date.
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Source: theguardian.com