How Learning Languages Affects Our Brain

Speaking a foreign language is always useful but learning a new language can be a difficult task. There are so many weird rules, unfamiliar words and pronunciation problems that most of the time you believe that you’ll never learn anything. It is easy to feel discouraged and to give up. But, the truth is that you are catching up faster than you believe and soon you will manage to master it and become a real expert. Or at least you’ll learn enough to order a tea next time you are visiting the country whose language you are learning. Not only does learning languages have ability to transform social aspects of your life but it can also affect your brain. The How Learning Languages Affects Our Brain Infographic showcases the consequences of learning a language and the pretty epic impact it has on your brain!

We need to make mental fitness a huge part of our everyday routine. Learning new languages is both a fun and challenging way to give our brains the workout they crave. According to the infographic higher language skills are linked to growth in the hippocampus and areas of the cerebral cortex, where we process memory, thought and action. The increased size is associated with better memory and sharp thinking in old age. Apart from benefiting your brain, language also changes the way you think. For example, there are more terms for light blue and dark blue in Japanese than in English. This means that Japanese speakers can distinguish between multiple shades of blue as compared to English speakers.

by EPALE