Mind your language

Taking up a new language offers a plethora of benefits.

- By CAMILLA FOSTER

A NEW study suggests that activities like reading, writing or learning languages may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease by nearly 40%.

Here are six ways learning a language could boost your brain power later in life...

"When learning your first language or a second language, you are using the hippocampus, which is responsible for learning and memory, and the prefrontal cortex, which is for your working and long-term memory," explains cognitive rehabilitation therapist Natalie Mackenzie, also known as The Cognitive Strategist.

"You're also using the two language areas of your brain, which are the Broca's area, which is where your speech production is made, and the Wernicke's area, which deals with how we understand language," she adds.