The Benefits Of Learning A Language

The obvious benefit of knowing a second language is being able to converse, read, and write in it so that when you travel to a country that speaks it you can easily get around. But there are actually a surprising amount of health benefits associated with language learning that should make you sit down for at least 30 minutes a day to work on one of your choosing.

Memory

Studies have shown that children and adults who learn another language actually have an increased capacity for short term memory storage and are better able to understand new information that is given to them. This means that people who often have to synthesize new information in their jobs and remember it for next day use might be better able to retain and utilize it if they practice a foreign language. If you find yourself struggling to retain new information then increasing your language abilities may use the part of your brain that will help you remember more.

The Benefits Of Learning A Language

Longer Attention Spans

Short attention spans often lead to wandering minds which makes it difficult for a person to focus on the subject at hand. This can make studying and working extremely hard. Language learning means that you have to switch between two, three or even more languages depending on how many you are learning. When you have to focus on two languages and when to use them it allows you to hone your concentration because there are nuances and words you have to pick up on if you want to understand a situation. This can be applied to work and school as well, so that you are able to focus on specific tasks in allotted time periods.

Possibly Delay Illnesses Like Dementia

Edinburgh University performed a study on bilingualism and dementia to see if there was a correlation between a later onset of symptoms and the results were that there was. The researchers believe that because the brain has to constantly switch between two or more languages which can mean different alphabets, grammatical structure, and cultural norms meant that the brain was trained to be used differently than those who only speak one language. Obviously, further research is needed but if there is a link between offsetting dementia and learning another language then there is really no harm in giving it a try.

Knowledge is power and simply learning anything new is something to be welcomed, you never know when you might need French, Spanish, Chinese and many other languages!