Learning a new language is like a 'whole-body exercise' for older adults, but it's not an easy feat. Take the author's journey with Japanese as an example. Despite working in Tokyo for seven years, they still can't grasp the language, finding it incredibly challenging. This is despite their previous experience with Spanish, which they picked up during their time as a news and sports reporter in Spain, Mexico, and Argentina.
The author's weekly language classes have taught them humility, as their teacher, Ayaka Ono, estimates she's tutored about 600 students over 15 years, mostly between 20 and 50. The author is more than a decade beyond her eldest student, and Ono notes that older students take tiny steps and then fall back, struggling to focus as long as younger learners.
The science behind learning languages is fascinating. While children have an easier time picking up second languages, scientists have been studying whether being bilingual can help ward off memory lapses and reduced mental sharpness that come with an aging brain. Ellen Bialystok, a distinguished research professor emeritus at York University in Toronto, explains that managing two languages in the brain over a lifetime makes it more efficient, resilient, and protected against cognitive decline.
However, there's good news for older adults like the author. Attempting to acquire a new language is worthwhile, and it's not just about reading a menu while traveling. Bialystok recommends studying a new language at any age, comparing it to word puzzles and brain-training games that are promoted to slow the onset of dementia. She emphasizes that while early bilingualism provides cognitive aging benefits, learning a new language later in life is still a stimulating and engaging activity that uses all of your brain, much like a whole-body exercise.
The latest research supports this idea. A large study published by the science journal Nature Aging in November suggests that speaking multiple languages protects against more rapid brain aging, and the effect increases with the number of languages. The findings, based on research involving 87,149 healthy people ages 51 to 90, underscore the key role of multilingualism in fostering healthier aging trajectories.
While the study's limitations include a sample population drawn only from 27 European countries, Judith Kroll, a cognitive psychologist, believes there is promising evidence that older adults can learn new languages and benefit from that learning. More studies are needed to understand whether language lessons help people in midlife and beyond maintain some cognitive abilities.
The author's personal experience with learning Japanese highlights the challenges. They find it incredibly difficult, comparing it to a hostile linguistic environment. Despite their efforts, they'll never progress beyond preschool level in Japanese, but they find value in the process, much like regular weight-training sessions help maintain physical strength.
Ono and Bialystok both emphasize the importance of using language in real situations with other people. While language-learning apps can be helpful, they are not a substitute for real-world practice. The author's journey with Japanese serves as a reminder that learning a new language is a challenging but rewarding experience, especially for older adults, and it's never too late to start.
