105 Learning Journal #9

[David Lee]

The article states that being bilingual "can have a profound effect on your brain, improving cognitive skills not related to language and even shielding against dementia in old age," and "seem to be more adept than monolinguals at solving certain kinds of mental puzzles." Although I see where this claim is coming from, I don't truly believe that being bilingual can directly make an individual more intelligent. I do believe however, that being bilingual can help an individual develop habits that can improve his/her performance in school. When learning a new language, one must experience different ways of learning and discover what works best for them. This new way of learning or studying can roll over to the school books and improve one's academic performance.