Researchers in Montreal are pointing to the benefits of bilingualism for the brain’s health and efficiency — suggesting it could even help prevent diseases associated with aging, including Alzheimer’s.
Noah Sweeney started learning French the moment he was signed up for hockey and baseball in Quebec City as a five-year-old anglophone.
Nearly 18 years later, he is still learning — having continued his French education through elementary and high school, university and now at his job where he speaks with the majority of customers in French.
“It’s just a harder language to grasp because of all the rules,” said Sweeney.
“[It was] definitely a huge struggle. There’s only a little pocket of English people here, especially in Quebec City. Definitely was a challenge growing up.”
But he says there’s no downside to being bilingual and that, increasingly, most of his francophone friends are able to speak two languages.