Language shapes the way we think. Whether we're listening to a speaker or engaged in a conversation, language can introduce us to new ideas, perspectives, and opportunities. But At a more fundamental level, language might may physically alter your mind. Bilinguals, for example, have denser gray matter in their the language centers of their brains than monolinguals. Bilinguals can more easily focus on two tasks at once. They think more analytically. The parts of their brain devoted to memory, reasoning, and planning are larger than those of monolinguals. Learning a second language is like a workout for your the mind. The benefits of bilingualism, from increased creativity to the delayed onset of Alzheimer's disease, should encourage everyone to pick up a second - or third! - language. 

     For bilingual speakers, from the first syllable they hear, their brain is working to identify the word, and the listener's brain begins identifying any words, in either language, that could fit the sounds as they arrive in sequence. Having to distinguish between two languages can be tricky in some situations, but the brain's executive functions, especially the attention and inhibition processes, are strengthened through this process, ultimately making bilingual speakers better at switching between two tasks or handling tasks that require conflict management.

     Because the language centers in the brain are so flexible, learning a second language can may develop new areas of your the mind and strengthen your the brain's natural ability to focus, entertain multiple possibilities, and process information. Neurologists are reporting, in the largest study to date, on the link between language skills and the brain-destroying disease, that people who spoke two languages staved off dementia years longer than people who only spoke only one language.

     A The key way to avoid dementia may be learning another language. People who speak more than one language, and who develop dementia, tend to do so up to five years later than those who are monolingual, according to a study.