Language learning is good for you!
Long-term brain health is just one of the ways God looks out for us
Scientific evidence
A large scientific study1 has found strong evidence that speaking more than one language “could slow down brain aging and help prevent cognitive decline.”2 The researchers analysed data from 86,000 healthy adults aged 51 to 90 across 27 European countries and found robust evidence that “people who are multilingual are half as likely to show signs of accelerated biological aging as are those who speak just one language.”3
The results were most marked in older people, being “strongest among people in their late 70s and 80s.”4 “Knowing two or more languages . . . offered a noticeably stronger shield against age-related decline. Older multilingual adults seemed to carry a kind of built-in resilience that their monolingual peers lacked.”5
Other studies have suggested that “bilinguals undergo a later onset of dementia, perhaps of around four years, on average.”6 That being the case, in general, missionaries from monolingual countries should experience lower levels of cognitive decline with ageing compared with their contemporaries who speak only one language.
Of course, we have an infinitely greater motivation for learning Japanese than merely staving off cognitive decline in old age—we long to share the stunningly good news of Jesus with Japanese people in their heart language and to build up the church here.
But I find it intriguing that learning Japanese also turns out to be beneficial for us. It’s a beautiful example of how God looks after us in unexpected ways.
Losing to gain
Several places in the New Testament point out that, counterintuitively, the path of hardship and sacrifice is ultimately best for us. For example, when Peter reminds Jesus of all the disciples had left to follow him, Jesus replies, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life” (Mark 10:29–30 ESV).
Many of us can attest to this “present age” compensation in terms of the relationships we’ve gained and the many personal experiences of God’s faithfulness we’ve had. But research now shows that it also extends to things we might not have considered previously, such as a sharper mind in old age.
There are many other perks of living and serving in Japan. For example, it broadens your perspective and gives you a greater appreciation for diversity, as well as greater cultural flexibility. My life has been greatly enriched through learning about Japanese culture. I find there is so much that falls into the category of true, honourable, lovely, commendable, and excellent in Japanese culture (Phil. 4:8).
So keep on with the hard but rewarding work of learning Japanese language and culture, knowing that there are surprising long-term benefits for your brain in doing so. JH
1. Lucia Amoruso et al., “Multilingualism protects against accelerated aging in cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of 27 European countries,” Nature Aging 5 (2025), 2,340–2,354.
2. Katie Kavanagh, “Want a younger brain? Learn another language,” Nature 647 (2025), 570.
3. Ibid.
4. Xinyu Liu & Christos Pliatsikas, “How multilingualism can protect against brain ageing,” The Conversation 25, https://doi.org/10.64628/AB.9pqnyusnh (November, 2025).
5. Ibid.
6. “Is being bilingual good for your brain?” The Economist, https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/06/27/is-being-bilingual-good-for-your-brain (June 27, 2025).