It should come as no surprise that learning a language improves other cognitive abilities like communication, creativity, memory, and focus, in addition to these physical changes in the brain. Research has shown that language learners develop denser gray matter, which helps with processing information and increases cognitive function. Moreover, the act of switching between languages enhances mental flexibility and problem-solving abilities. Studies also suggest that not only can bilingualism help maintain brain and cognitive health, but it also boosts social connectivity, allowing learners to engage with diverse cultures and communities.
Improved academic achievement
Across a meta-analysis of 20 studies examining the connection between language acquisition and academic success, the bulk of the studies (90%) showed that language learners do better academically than those who do not study a second language across a range of subject areas. Learning a second language also increases a student’s literacy, which helps them in subjects like math and science.
In addition, learning a language has also been connected to enhanced critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, which are vital in a variety of academic domains. Further supporting the wide-ranging cognitive advantages of bilingualism, studies also reveal that kids who learn a second language typically perform higher on standardized tests, especially in the verbal and mathematical thinking parts.
Enhanced focus
Students’ levels of alertness and focus improve after just one week of learning a new language. At least five hours a week of consistent language instruction helped to sustain this development.
This study also included students whose ages ranged from 18 to 78, and all age groups showed increases in attention span. Thus, at any age, learning a new language will help students become more focused.
Moreover, learning a new language requires constant engagement of the brain’s executive control system, which is responsible for managing attention and filtering out distractions. Research has shown that bilingual individuals are better at task-switching and maintaining focus, even in environments with competing stimuli. This heightened ability to concentrate can benefit both academic performance and everyday tasks.
A more vivid memory
Language acquisition requires both memorizing abilities (learning new vocabulary and conventions) and recall (creating new language exercises for the class). Thus, it should come as no surprise that people who speak a second language on a daily basis have more vivid recollections.
In fact, research shows that regular second language learners do better on memory tests than monolingual people. Furthermore, it makes no difference if they learned the language as a child or as an adult. Language acquisition also improves short- and long-term memory.
Learning a new language strengthens the brain’s hippocampus, the region responsible for memory and learning, leading to better retention of information. Studies have also found that bilingual individuals are more adept at recalling details from both short- and long-term memory, which is especially beneficial for academic performance and daily tasks. Additionally, the cognitive exercise involved in learning and using multiple languages has been shown to enhance working memory, allowing individuals to process and store information more efficiently.
Enhanced capacity for communication
There was evidence in an early study on language acquisition that it improved pupils’ empathy. More recent research indicates that empathy is an essential trait for successful second language learning.
Learning a second language can help pupils become more adept at seeing things from different angles. Consequently, this may enhance their ability to communicate.
Additionally, practicing academic language study skills like active listening can help students become more proficient communicators in daily situations.
Research has shown that bilingual individuals often develop greater cultural sensitivity, which fosters empathy by allowing them to understand diverse perspectives and social cues more effectively. This heightened sense of empathy not only improves communication in personal interactions but also enhances collaboration in multicultural environments, such as the workplace. Moreover, learning a second language encourages active listening and adaptability, as language learners must constantly interpret and respond to unfamiliar phrases, further strengthening their interpersonal skills.
Greater originality
When it comes to problem-solving, bilingual kids are more creative and adaptable than their monolingual counterparts. This also applies to second-language learners.
Researchers have discovered in a variety of research that learning a language appears to unleash pupils’ creative potential. This could be the result of the thought processes involved in language acquisition. They include language translation, language switching, and focused study, along with the ability to pick things up fast and adapt.
Students who learn a language will benefit in every area of their lives, as it will improve their cognitive abilities and help them make decisions and solve problems. In the end, everything helps to strengthen their relationships on a personal, professional, and social level (Aliouche, 2022).
Studies have shown that bilingual individuals tend to think more divergently, meaning they can generate a wide variety of solutions to a single problem, a key marker of creativity. The mental flexibility required for switching between languages enhances cognitive processes like abstract thinking and innovation. Furthermore, language learners often develop stronger metalinguistic awareness, allowing them to reflect on language structures and meanings more deeply, which further boosts their creative thinking skills. This increased creativity not only benefits problem-solving but also promotes adaptability in rapidly changing environments, helping students thrive in both personal and professional settings.
A neurological perspective on language learning.
People who have learned two languages at the same time since they were little children are known as bilinguals, and scientists have studied them for decades. They want to know more about how dual language proficiency affects cognition. Furthermore, with developments in MRI technology, researchers can now clearly see the differences between bilingual and monolingual brains.
Each person’s brain is made up of neurons, which are cells having a cell body, and dendrites, which are the connections between neurons. We refer to it as “grey matte.”
Compared to monolingual people, bilinguals have an increased number of these neurons and dendrites. As a result, their gray matter is denser.
Furthermore, bilingualism affects white matter, the network of nerve fibers that connects the brain’s four lobes. Because of this system, which synchronizes communication among the various brain regions, your brain learns and performs more efficiently.
Those who speak two languages have more white matter integrity than those who speak just one language. Their experience learning a second language actually increases their mental capacity (Aliouche, 2022).
Language Learning and Brain Health
Researchers have found that speaking a second language actually increases your brain size. Being able to speak two languages can help you focus and filter out irrelevant information, a great tool when it comes to reducing anxiety. Switching between languages makes your brain more flexible and more able to prioritize easily.
Social connection is crucial to prevent feelings of loneliness and isolation, which can be detrimental to mental health. Learning a new language opens up a whole new social world. Networking, meeting people from all around the world, and making new friends are all made possible by studying abroad. Additionally, consider the millions of people you can now communicate with thanks to your improved language skills.
When you are depressed, everything seems “too hard,” and you most likely lack confidence. A fantastic way to escape this awkward position is to learn a language. Even if all you can do in a foreign language is speak a few words, you can still prove yourself.
Speaking to someone in a foreign language when you are ready can also definitely boost your confidence a lot (Spence, 2022).
Comparing language learning in childhood and adulthood
“Learning a language is better done by children than by adults.”
It’s just not true.
The truth is that children and adults are not the same. both ecologically and physically, with regard to their brains.
To put it plainly, grownups have much more pressing matters in their lives to attend to, and their minds are better developed!
Numerous studies indicate that children’s brains do not fully mature until adolescence. (Although specialists cannot agree on the precise timing of that.).
In this “immature phase,” sometimes referred to as “the window of opportunity,” the brain can unconsciously take in and process information at a phenomenal rate.
Without adult limitations like work, mortgages, or other financial obligations, children can also dedicate large amounts of their leisure time to language learning. More on that later.
But does this help with language learning? The answer is in the affirmative. Of course.
That suggests that children are better at picking up languages, isn’t that right?
Not at all, actually. Comparing the language learning processes of adults and children has yielded very similar results in several studies.
When provided with learning materials and then tested on them, adults and children score almost exactly the same on all exams.
It is interesting to note that mistakes made by adults are usually different from those made by children.
Accent, pronunciation, and intonation are typically considerably easier for kids to pick up on than for adults. In general, they are more adept at memorization—especially of language. But some grown-ups are also quite good at this.
It’s true that an adult’s brain can comprehend more complex grammatical rules and reasoning than a child’s. In this regard, children typically make more mistakes than adults (O’Neill, 2023).
Conclusion
This text explains how learning a language positively affects cognitive abilities like communication, creativity, memory, and focus. According to research, learning a language changes the brain’s structure, improving learning skills and brain health. It also mentions that language learners, regardless of age, have better attention spans and memories. Learning a second language can even increase empathy, which helps improve communication skills.
When comparing language learning between children and adults, children are better at picking up pronunciation and accents, while adults are better at understanding complex grammar. In the end, learning a language provides cognitive, social, and psychological benefits for all ages, making life richer and more fulfilling.
References
Aliouche, H., 2022. The Impact of Learning a Language on Brain Health. [online] News-Medical.net. Available at: https://www.news-medical.net/health/The-Impact-of-Learning-a-Language-on-Brain-Health.aspx [Accessed 07 September. 2024].
O’Neill, E., 2023. Adults are better at learning languages than children – and here’s why. [online] UK Language Project. Available at: https://uklp.com/adults-better-learning-languages-children/ [Accessed 07 September. 2024].
Spence, C. 2022., How learning a new language changes your brain. [online] World of Better Learning | Cambridge University Press. Available at: https://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2022/04/29/learning-language-changes-your-brain/ [Accessed 07 September. 2024].
