A lot of people make plans to study a new language and then never get around to it.
It can be really intimidating to start from scratch. But once you get through the basics, you’ll be able to talk with more people and discover new books and music. Once you can do that, it won’t be too difficult to become fluent.
Becoming bilingual or multilingual is also great for your brain. Studies show that learning a new language will enhance your memory.
How Does Learning a Language Help Improve Your Memory?
- A boost to the hippocampus. Learning a new language can make your hippocampus grow in size. It also develops your brain’s connectivity, which means that it increases the number of neural pathways between different parts of the brain.
- Your brain stays younger. Studies show that speaking multiple languages delays both Alzheimer’s and dementia. Whatever age you are when you start learning a language, it will help your brain maintain its ability to grow and change.
- Practice makes perfect. Adults don’t have much need to remember things by heart – even phone numbers and addresses have stopped being an issue. But if you’re studying a new language, you have no way to get around memorizing grammar rules and new vocabulary.
If you’re dealing with memory issues, you might be worried that they will make studying too difficult for you. Using interactive language apps is a good way to get around that. With their help, you will learn faster by practicing on real sentences, without the stress of rote memorization.
In addition to making you more well-rounded, learning a new language will enhance your memory, too. It can also be a good preventive measure against dementia. So, if you’ve ever wished to learn another language, now is a good time to start!
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The Brain Benefits of Learning a Second Language. URL link. Accessed 11th November 2017.
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