Can Learning a New Language Help Prevent Dementia? A Geriatrician Explains the Science

For decades, I worked as a geriatrician, fluent in both Hebrew and English. Yet immediately after retiring, I decided to take on a new challenge: learning another language. I chose Yiddish, not only because of its rich Jewish heritage, but also to improve communication with my Haredi patients.

The local community center offered Yiddish classes at the perfect time: 10:30 a.m., immediately after a Judaism class that ends at 10:00. This schedule gave me an added benefit of a brisk walk between the two classes.

I mention this because if you want to stick with a new habit that matters to you, one of the best strategies is to attach it to an existing routine. In my case, I not only committed to learning Yiddish but also gained regular exercise by walking quickly between the two locations.

Today, I am studying in the fourth-year Yiddish course. Like every other student, I complete my homework, and I can now hold simple conversations in my new language.

Can Learning a New Language Help Protect the Brain?

A recent study titled "Multilingualism and Delayed Dementia" followed 86,000 adults between the ages of 51 and 90. The researchers found that multilingualism was associated with a lower risk of accelerated aging. However, the study did not prove that speaking multiple languages actually delays the development of dementia.

One possible explanation is that switching between languages requires sustained attention, mental flexibility, and the ability to shift efficiently between tasks. Learning a new language also demands concentration, working memory, and the ability to retrieve the right word at the right moment.

Of course, meaningful progress requires consistent practice and active conversation — not only reading or using language-learning apps.

Building Cognitive Reserve

The main challenge in studies like this is determining whether multilingualism itself delays dementia or whether other factors are responsible. Researchers attempted to account for social, physical, and environmental influences, but proving direct causation remains difficult.

The prevailing theory is that reducing dementia risk depends on a combination of healthy habits, including regular physical activity, nutritious eating, social engagement, and careful management of vascular risk factors such as hypertension and high cholesterol.

Mental stimulation also plays an important role. Whether through learning a new language or regularly using more than one language, the brain is constantly challenged to remember, process, and retrieve information in real time.

Exercise for the Brain

Asking the brain to master new skills instead of relying only on familiar routines is much like strength training for the body. Just as lifting weights builds muscle, tackling new mental challenges strengthens the brain.

This process helps build what researchers call cognitive reserve, which is the brain's ability to cope with stressors such as infections, surgery, or age-related changes. Studies have shown that people with greater cognitive reserve often maintain normal thinking abilities for longer, even when underlying brain pathology is already present.

In the early stages of dementia, increasing cognitive reserve may be especially valuable, as its protective effect appears to be greatest during this period.

It's Never Too Late to Learn

I cannot predict where future research will lead, but one thing is becoming increasingly clear: building cognitive reserve that delays the clinical symptoms of dementia — even when the disease process has already begun in the brain, is a remarkable achievement.

Learning at any age, and in any field, is beneficial. For older adults in particular, regularly studying, reviewing, and practicing new material may provide an important protective reserve that helps preserve quality of life and postpone the onset of dementia symptoms.