Challenges
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Quick Win
Studying a new language is a great way to keep your mind engaged.
Try This Today
- Choose a language to learn. Is there one you studied briefly in school or always wanted to learn? Or one that’s spoken in a country you’d like to visit someday?
- Decide how you’d like to study. You can study from home at your own pace with an app like Babbel, Duolingo or Busuu. In-person classes allow you to practice conversation and be social; to find one near you, check whether your public school system offers adult and continuing education courses. Local community colleges, libraries and community centers — such as the YMCA — may also have options.
- Supplement your learning. Test your skills by reading a book, watching a movie or listening to music in the language you’re learning.
Why
Communicating in a different language or learning a new one is a cognitively stimulating activity, and there’s evidence that “bilingualism might represent a protective shield against cognitive decline,” according to AARP’s Global Council on Brain Health 2017 report “Engage Your Brain.” In a study of 41 adults ages 60 to 80 published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience in 2024, participants performed better on tests of attention and focus after taking a four-month online language course.
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