Explore New Worlds
Using language is this cool inbuilt ability, when you think about it.
It takes the basic sounds we make with our mouths, or the signs we write or make with our hands, and forms entire codes that we then use to communicate. It even impacts the way we view, categorise, describe, and understand the world around us, inseparable and working side by side with culture.
The physical form of a language, that is its words, pronunciation, sounds and grammatical patterns, are also historical artefacts and evidence of major historical events that shaped the language over thousands of years. Sorry, I’m a bit of a language nerd, so I’ll get back on track.
Because language is such an integral part of how we work, stimulating the language learning parts of the brain in adulthood comes with some awesome extras like resistance to dementia or just an improved memory. More below:
1 Learning languages improves memory
A study featured in the journal Frontiers of Psychology (2014 edition) found that people who learned a second language had better attention spans and memory retention. This is particularly useful for people with a history of depression or other mental health disorders that negatively affect memory.
The researchers also found that compared to monolingual speakers, bilingual students had better concentration and were less distracted by outside noises and movement.
As for older individuals, a study published in the 2018 edition of Frontiers in Human Neuroscience found links between increased cognitive function and second language learning in elderly learners. Researchers noted that while monitoring brain behaviour, they saw improvements in structural and functional connectivity within the brain resulting in faster memory recall.
2 Your brain develops extra resistance to dementia and Alzheimer’s
As mentioned in the first point, language learning improves memory. That same research (published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience) found that language learning in adulthood “may prevent cognitive decline in later life by approximately 4.5 years”.
Language learning environments also give older individuals a stimulating social outgoing experience. Engaging in fun regular activity is just as important for older learners as it boosts neurological health and can hold dementia and Alzheimer’s back.
3 Language learning creates new opportunities
Once you can speak and understand at a basic level, your new language skills can open many new doors in more than one sense.
For starters, you can travel much more easily through countries where they speak your second language without needing a translator. Speaking the local language then increases your ability to conduct business on an international level. Having a second language also gives you an edge in teaching, translating, interpreting and more.
4 Decision-making skills
Making simple decisions is a straightforward process, right? Well, not quite.
Researchers from the University of Chicago found that people who think through decisions in their non-native language tend to make better and more analytical decisions.
The experiments looked at over 600 people across five different languages. Researchers found that when using non-native languages, participants were more likely to take favourable risks. Since people tend to avoid risky situations out of fear they will lose, using a non-native language removes emotional bias.
Because you must consciously think through a second language, the same conscious thought patterns carry over to decisions made in your second language, suppressing emotional attachments, fears and more.
This study was published in the April 2012 edition of Psychological Science.
5 It gives you insights into other cultures, as well as your own
When you expose yourself to new ideas, new ways of expressing yourself, and new ways of looking at the world, you can then compare those perspectives to your own culture.
You might learn about a particular culture’s methods and strategies for self-expression that differ to what you hold. You probably didn’t realise that your culture normalises one style of emotional expression over another, because it just seemed normal without something to compare it to.
By discovering different cultures and ways of being, you can look at yourself and discover ways you would like to improve, from how you behave to the values you hold. You’ll also discover the things you love about yourself and your culture.
Read or listen to Matt’s Language Series on Coromind here.
Words by Matt Bowden
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