Almost all residents of the former Soviet republics speak two languages - their native and Russian. The Russian language was a link, something like a small international language within the Soviet Union. And it was customary for me to speak two languages from the very moment I said my first word.
Knowledge of an additional language and its frequent use not only allows you to communicate with a large number of people and get more information. According to research by scientists from around the world, bilingualism gives you another important advantage!
On the one hand, due to bilingualism, a mixture of languages can be born in the form of a folk surjik, from which normal people begin to hurt their ears. This is because two systems are simultaneously involved in the brain, even if a person speaks only one language. As a result, confusion may occur, resulting in a not very sonorous mixture of the two languages.
On the other hand, the brain gets a double load and has to get used to it. This can be compared to classes in a gym club, where we specifically take more weight to strengthen our muscles and give them shape.
People who use two languages on a daily basis are easier to solve some types of psychological problems. Due to the fact that the brain of a bilingual person has to constantly struggle to slow down the second system (that is, the second language), he is better able to protect himself from external stimuli and focus on the task at hand.
During other studies conducted in 2009 with a group of pensioners from Spanish-English families, it was found that bilinguals are less susceptible to senile dementia. And even if it does begin with them, it happens much later than those who were born in a monolinguistic family.
Of course, our mental abilities also depend on a huge number of other factors (heredity, environment, financial condition of the family, etc.), but these conclusions can be adopted and, finally, begin to learn a second or third language. Of course, you will not be bilingual, since these people speak two languages almost from birth. But such an additional charge for the brain will still not be superfluous. Try to read as much as possible in the second language being studied and communicate with native speakers. And every time you come to a new country, learn at least a few basic words and expressions in the local language. This will be a useful language baggage and, perhaps, will allow you to keep your mind clear for the rest of your days.
