The Idea of an Essay, Volume 3

158 The Idea of an Essay: Volume 3 shapes, they are able to categorize them with little errors (DeLang 51). Even though this example uses simple colors and shapes, it is the same when switching between two languages. In bilingual brains, the two languages are consistently competing for “attention.” As a result, when a bilingual individual speaks, writes, or listens, his/her brain is choosing the correct word or phrase while preventing the same term from the other language. It can be considered a workout for the brain. This action helps training the brain to ignore distractions while participating in an activity. Constantly exercising the brain will make it sharper. An example of this is in the book Devil at my Heels by Louis Zamperini. Three men were stranded in the middle of the ocean on a raft for 47 days. One of the men, Louis Zamperini, knew they had to keep their minds sharp to keep their focus on staying alive. He remembered a college professor saying the mind was like a muscle that needed exercise or it would deteriorate because of not using it. Bilingualism helps the brain “stay in shape,” which makes it last longer. Bilinguals can solve problems with greater flexibility and versatility because of the ability to switch from different activities. Being bilingual helps the brain function more quickly and efficiently because it is constantly working with two languages. When the brain is trained in two languages, researchers see the positive effects in the older generations. DeLang, a researcher of human linguistic diversity, states, “There is plenty of evidence to suggest that other forms of brain exercise can create ‘cognitive reserve,’ a kindofmental padding that cushions themind against age- related decline” (51). In addition, DeLang reported a study showing that dementia showed up years later in the brains of bilingual people than the brains of monolingual patients researched in a study. A similar study was conducted on people with Alzheimer’s disease. In this study, there was a five- year delay on the bilingual brains compared to monolingual brains getting Alzhmeimer’s. The results were still accurate even after education and occupation were taken into consideration. Bilingualism helps the brain keep functioning healthily for longer (DeLang 51). When people start to get older, they use less and less of their brain, so bilingualism helps people maintain a sharper mind for a longer period of time. Being bilingual helps the brain learn languages faster, exercise the brain, and keep the brain stimulated for a longer period of time. If all Americans