I read an article yesterday that detailed a study in which truly bilingual people--those who speak both languages freely and do so every day--show a markedly delayed onset of Alzheimer's Disease. Evidently bilingualism boosts blood supply to the brain and ensures nerve connections remain healthy.

We've come a long way from the 1940's when my parents were told that if their children learned two languages simultaneously (Swedish and English in our case), they would become confused and not be able to speak either language well. In addition, they would be held back in reading skills.

So much for that theory.

I wonder if the second language could be music (sight-reading music as you play an instrument or sing is like speaking another language) or mathematics or programming languages.