Second language learning may delay decline of or even improve congitive functions in elderly

I like learning foreign languages, mostly English, since young days. I am not sure what I have achieved with it, though. The other languages than English, like German, French, Russian or Spanish, seem to end in failure with me so far. I still go on struggling with German in order to listen to and understand Matthew's Passion etc.

At this age in mid 70s, unless making efforts to resist it, I feel knowledges of English are lost day by day. It is an aging process and quite physiological. Training with any second language may, however, delay aging or even improve our cognitive functions. The review shown below concerning the papers regarding the aging cognitive decline with learning a second language seems to support the hypothesis told above, even if the results are not consistent and they should be confirmed further with imaging studies. It may be necessary to study this subject with the same cohort longitudinally for years. Of course, comparison with the group without second language learning may be informative.

 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34867264/ 

As for my own experience, it is always stimulating to read certain paper or book written in English. When confronting any ununderstandable word or phrase, I would imagine what it means considering the context or the related lexicology. Even when looking up for that in a dictionary, I always go on expecting the answer. It is often not tiring but interesting to me. When I imagined or expected it right, it gives me a rewarding sensation. Intellectual pleasure, however small it may be for me.   

I recently realized that rewarding sensation is identical or, at least, close to that I feel in the QSOs on CW. That process has been repeatedly described in this blog. Morse code is only a system of symbols, but not a language with its specific grammar as often mistaken. But the relationship between certain language, that is, always English, and Morse code is quite strong. Something like abbreviations inherent to Morse code or sounding characteristics of certain words suggestive of its language counterpart etc. There could be inseparable bonding between these two.

If the hypothesis in the previous paragraph is correct, CW conversation might be of help to resist intellectual aging process or to improve our cognitive ability. Simple correspondence of Morse code to the character won't make it, I am afraid.

So too bad I could not practise CW at present. Instead, I would carry on reading papers and books in English. I am reading Merkel's autobio English version titled as "Freedom". Very attractive one. 

This post should be the very last one in this blog this year. Thanks for visiting. Again, I wish you all peace and good health in the coming new year.