As much as I hate to admit it, learning a second language might be good for me.
Apparently, learning a second language as a child can help slow down the decline associated with aging and can help keep the mind young. Adults who learned a second language as a child and grew up bilingual had quicker minds.
A bilingual brain develops more densely and helps build an advantage in various abilities. Researchers recruited 25 people who spoke only one language, 25 people who learned a second European language before age five, and 33 people who became bilingual between the ages of ten and fifteen. All of these people spoke English as their native language. Brain imaging showed that those who were bilingual had denser grey matter (grey matter in the brain is what is associated with language, memory, and attention). This was most obvious in those who became bilingual around the age of five.
Other studies have shown that bilingual people were faster test takers and faster reaction times for cognitive abilities.
These studies being done are showing that learning a second language can alter the development of your brain and your brain structure. Some research has even shown that bilingual people tend to score higher on IQ tests than monolingual people. Bilingual people also tend to have higher self-esteems.
As an added plus, being bilingual may slow down dementia-- one study showed that dementia took four to five years longer to set in people who spoke more than one language.
Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20041013/being-bilingual-boosts-brain-power
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/benefits-of-being-bilingual.html
http://www.npr.org/2011/04/04/135043787/being-bilingual-may-boost-your-brain-power
Being Bilingual May Keep Your Mind Young (expired link)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5209379/
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