13 benefits of learning a second language
- 1. 13 benefits of learning a second language: The benefits of learning a second language include: brain growth, postpone dementia, stimulate memory, improve attention and many more... We bring you some of them. In the old days, it used to be thought that learning two languages created confusion in the mind . It was even thought that if one language had been learned , there was no reason to bother learning another. An even more extreme and absurd view was that learning a second language could cause a kind of schizophrenia or dual personality.
- 2. Some studies seemed to support the idea that learning two languages could be problematic , especially in children. Early researchers noted that bilingual people tended to have smaller vocabularies and slower access to words. However, today much more is known about learning other languages, giving way to a new perspective. Advantages of learning another language Today the attitude and disposition towards learning new languages is completely different. Knowing a new language allows us, in addition to communicating with more people, to learn more about that culture, how they think . And, what is better, it provides a series of social, psychological and cognitive benefits.
- 3. 1. Optimise the brain When learning a second language, the language centres in the brain grow , which is one of its main benefits. Thus, the more you learn, the more brain areas grow. In this sense, the researcher at the Pompeu Fabra University of Barcelona, Albert Costa, has dedicated himself to studying it. This researcher compares learning a language with practising a sport. Costa assures that “it seems that there are areas that have more grey matter, more density of neurons, in people who speak
- 4. two languages. Just like a tennis player builds muscle, speaking languages is mental gymnastics. Bilingualism sculpts the brain . ” 2. Delays dementia More and more academics and experts on the subject believe that bilingualism increases our cognitive reserve capacity . This " warehouse " that the brain has is formed by all the stimulating experiences that we have developed in our lives. For example, studying, playing musical instruments, reading, or learning new languages. Thus, numerous investigations have linked bilingualism with cognitive reserve and, consequently, have seen that it is associated with a delay in the onset of Alzheimer's disease for up to five years . Similarly, the higher this cognitive reserve capacity, the greater the delay in the appearance of cognitive deterioration caused by aging. 3. Hear better Being bilingual can lead to improved listening skills. It may seem incredible, but this is because the brain learns to discriminate between sounds better, in order to differentiate phonemes in one language from another. Thus, the level of precision is such that bilingual people are able to distinguish exactly two different noises.
- 5. A study conducted in the United Kingdom has even found that bilingual children pay more attention to the speech of others than monolingual peers, as well as better perceive unexpected changes in speech. Furthermore, this increase in attention appears to be similar in adulthood. 4. Be more sensitive to learning more languages Learning a second language not only brings the benefits associated with that learning, but also makes it easier to learn more languages. So babies raised in bilingual homes can distinguish languages they haven't even heard before. In this way, the greater facility of sound discrimination will make it easier to learn new pronunciations and to handle the new language faster.
- 6. Thus, for example, only exposure to the different sounds in Spanish and Catalan helps them to establish the difference between English and French. 5. Memory expansion Speaking more than one language means that the person has to have a good ability to handle various sources of information when carrying out a task. This is what the working memory consists of , the one in charge of temporarily storing information in order to process it. It is essential in many tasks. For example, mental calculation, relating concepts, and even to interact with people.
- 7. Thus, research from the University of Granada and the University of York (Canada) has found that children raised in a bilingual environment have a broader , more efficient working memory. That is to say, they are able to better manage the information when working with it. 6. Improved cognition In addition to what was mentioned above and in relation to it, it has been found that bilingual people have a better ability to change from one task to another more quickly . This is called cognitive flexibility and it allows these people to adapt more easily to unexpected circumstances. Related to working memory, multitasking and attention is cognitive control, which has also been seen to be higher in bilingual people . Apparently, this could be due to the need to monitor both languages in order to consider which is more appropriate in each situation.
- 8. 7. Improve attention Bilingualism has also been linked to greater control over attention , being better able to limit distractions. Albert Costa, again, affirms that “bilingualism influences attention capacity. Being used to changing languages improves the ability to concentrate when doing a task”. 8. New perspectives Learning a new language can literally change the way you see the world. Each language, and therefore each culture , has peculiarities in its vocabulary. Thus, there are words that exist in one language and not in another, but this does not mean that this concept or object does not exist in both. It just turned out to be more relevant to a certain culture. Thus, learning a new language can change the perception of the environment and the sensitivity towards certain aspects.
- 9. Learning Japanese, for example, which has basic terms to describe colours (colours are proper names of people, male or female, for example: Midori (green and a girl's name), can help you perceive colour in different ways. 9. Improve communication The learning of a second language increases the attention we pay to the rules and structure of the abstract language , which can make it better in your mother tongue. That is, more attention is paid to the language itself, I feel more aware of the nuances and meanings that a sentence can have. Therefore, it also improves verbal and non-verbal communication.
- 10. Learning new intonations and pronunciations, for example, increases the repertoire and makes it easier to move freely through all the possible expressions, as needed. Thus, this can be a long-term advantage in everyday life, improving the ability to relate to other people. 10. Encourage critical thinking Thinking about how others think and express themselves makes us, on the one hand, reflect on how we think and express ourselves and thus be self-critical . On the other hand, thinking about how other people build their speech, how they intonation and what they give importance to when they speak is a powerful tool to understand points of view other than their own.
- 11. As Geoffrey Willans said “ You can never understand one language until you understand at least two. “ 11. Better job opportunities Candidates with extensive language skills are in demand at all companies. This is because we live in an increasingly globalised world and large international companies expect their employees to be able to communicate with people from all over the world.
- 12. A survey of British companies showed that employees with very good command of another language tend to be paid more proficient than those without these skills. 12. Travel is much more enjoyable When learning a new language, vacations are lived from another perspective. For example, instead of staying in hotels or big tourist resorts, you may find the courage to mingle with the locals and travel off the beaten track and tour .
- 13. At first it can be a bit challenging. But, you will notice how open people react when you approach them and try to speak their native language. 13. It allows you to experience other cultures Learning a foreign language does not only focus on grammatical and communicative aspects. But it also involves learning about the culture of the country in which the language is used .
- 14. It is important to know about the daily life of the local people, their traditions and their way of thinking. In this sense, a new language can broaden your horizons enormously . In short, learning a second language will not only allow you to communicate with more people in the world, but it is a change in the short and long term . Speaking another language will gradually change your brain and will also make you see things differently in the present.