The benefits of bilingualism continue to be supported by recent studies indicating that speaking two languages not only can delay or prevent the onset and severity of Alzheimer’s and dementia, but also can improve brain efficiency at certain types of problem solving and the ability to perform some mentally demanding tasks. While I would never say that bilingualism makes you “smarter,” perhaps the more rigorous mental exercise demanded by constantly switching between different languages and the multiplication of neural connections that must be established among thousands of words and word groups keep the brain primed to operate at a higher level of efficiency.
Why Bilinguals Are Smarter
by Yudhijit Battacharjee
New York Times, March 17th, 2012