Learning a Second Language at a Young Age Improves Brain Function
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iStock/Thinkstock(KENT, England) — Learning a second language isn’t only a smart thing to do but it can also make you smarter. That’s provided if you do it early enough in life.
Researchers at the University of Kent School of Psychology say children who began learning English at age 10 improved the brain’s white matter structure, which affects how the brain learns and functions.
They discovered this by looking at the brains of kids who took up English as a second language at age 10 compared to those of youngsters who only spoke English.
Not only is white matter improved, according to the Kent researchers, but for those who become adept at a second language, that improved area of the brain “protects them against deterioration in older age.”
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