Both younger and older bilinguals were faster than subjects who spoke one language in both the congruent and incongruent trials but also exhibited less distraction from the incongruent items regardless of speed. Importantly, say the authors, bilingualism reduced the age-related increase in the Simon effect (distractibility), implying that life-long experience of managing two languages attenuates the age-related decline in the efficiency of inhibitory processing.
The authors propose that the ability to attend to a stimulus while ignoring irrelevant location information might be the same cognitive control processes used when using two languages.
11 thoughts on “Extra Languages Keep Old Folk Sharp”
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..to know I have an edge on aging. Spanish and English work for me, although I’d like to learn italian and french. Italian might be easier since the sounds and tongue movements are similar to spanish.
… at least those who still toy with another language. Merci beaucoup, AP :)
… but isn’t this a little obvious? Or at least intuitive. Exercise keeps you alive longer (at least usually) because it’s good to keep the body active. Shouldn’t the same hold true for a mind? I know it does for dishwashers. If you don’t use a dishwasher for awhile and you let all the gaskets dry out … better figure on replacing them all.
Use it or lose it! It’s only natural that for a mind to have something like bilingualism above a monolingual brain gives it more exercise. Am I simplifying the matter?
At the same time, so much of what we assume is true because it’s common sense is still not taken seriously until researchers have conducted infinite (it seems) numbers of studies.
A recent example is the “discovery” that children learn better how to read through phonics rather than whole-word recognition. Primary teachers knew this long before the scientific research came along to prove it, but they were subjected to teaching many fad reading systems that lined the pockets of publishers at the expense of several generations of young readers.
I’m happy to have the bilingual information. Matter of fact, I think I’ll go learn German, for good measure.
I speak German as well as my native English, I blame my bilinglualism for having a harder time learning French (which I in no way claim to know). I learned German at the same time as English, I don’t have to think about it … I just speak. And I think that really screwed up my French. Or at least that’s my excuse. I hated French in HS.
But I can recommend German to learn, Germans like it when as a tourist you make an effort to use their language. “Ein Helles von Fass bitte” is all you really need to know though (at least in southern Germany). I won’t speak for all of France, but I will attest that the average Parisian is insulted if you make a mistake using their language.
“A bright of barrel asks”??? Hey, that’s what I got when I googled “Ein Helles von Fass bitte” on language_tools!
What a gift to grow up in a bilingual household.
And speaking German, too, no less… I honestly don’t feel that your knowledge of German dampened your study of French, though (I taught French as well as English for quite a few years). Perhaps a dreadful teacher was a factor :-).
Mon professeur in hs was extremely corny and spit a good deal when he spoke French, but his francais was magnifique, and it “took” on me. I love the language to this day. I was brave enough to speak it when I visited Paris years ago, and les Parisiens at least responded to me. I didn’t hang around any one place to see if they were snickering at my efforts.
The Germans were all incredible– They spoke whatever language the occasion/company dictated. I realized then that German is a beautiful language, too, and promised myself I’d study it one day. Time’s wasting…
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…here in America the need to speak more than one language in not necessary. It could be argued that it’s convenient in some areas near Mexico or Cuba or Quebec, but that’s all.
Even in Europe, with so many countries and languages within hours of each other, the French insist on a unified language (keeping it pure and not “anglisized”). That’s why I think the USA should make American English the official language.
Still, this article is about one study of 154 subjects. And while being bilingual might have advantages, I don’t think it is limited to spoken languages only. Why can’t the second (or third, etc.) language be some computer programming language? It just makes sense because the mental processes are similar.
jon
Ein Helles von Fass bitte.
Helles is an adjective in the context, bright is the appropriate non-contextual translation. In the context it means pale. Fass (spelt properly with an S-zed the big B with the dangling tail) means draft faucet. So, a Munich Helles is a style of pale lager that is found throughout Bavaria and is the defacto beer that is normally served. It’s counterpart is a Dunkel which means dark. They are both all malt beers, more malty than bitter and little to no hop aroma or flavour. The whole phrase translates to: “A draft Helles please!”
Deep in my heart I know my ineptitude at french had nothing to do with german. Instead, solely with my disinterest. And I certainly wouldn’t praise the teachers I had.
The last time I was in Germany, less than a year ago, my then fiance and I took a side trip to Paris. (To go see Sting at the L’Olympia, a great night.) Being Canadian I know enough french to at least order food, I didn’t get the impression that they appreciated the effort. Admittedly my sample size was quite small, I shouldn’t condemn all Parisians, that wouldn’t be fair.
NB: Bitte means please, but is also often used to mean ” … pardon?” So maybe that’s why they translated to asks. A Fass is traditionally a tap on a barrel, hence the translation you received, but draft beer faucets are also called Fasse.
the mental processes are similar. I’ve often found myself thinking about a problem using one of my languages, and reminding myself how much easier it would be if I could code it :)
The thing about TRUE bilingualism is that you can think in both languages, therefore you understand subtle meanings and form in both languages. mtigges’ translation of “Ein Helles von Fass bitte” is a nice example.
I’d like to start learning my third language soon, because the older I get, the harder it will be for me to learn to think in a language (if you’re gonna be multilingual, be a GOOD multilingual :).
I somehow knew the real meaning of the phrase had a great deal to do with beer!
I guess I kind of made a mistake in the translation. I said Helles is an adjective in the context, I should explain that more better … so Helles clearly (pun intended) is the noun and subject of the sentence, it’s difficult for it to be an adjective at the same time. A Helles is a pale lager. I guess it’s analogous to a Englishman saying a pale please when asking for his local tipple, meaning the pale ale/bitter the pub serves. That it’s beer he wants is understood.