Research suggests that learning foreign languages “improves children’s understanding of how the language itself works and their ability to manipulate language in the service of thinking and problem-solving.” They subjected the children to a series of mental tasks that measured working memory, executive function, visual-spatial lapse, cognitive speed, and conflict resolution. Bilingual children outperformed their monolingual counterparts under all test conditions. In short, people who grow up bilingual have faster, more accurate, and more robust mental abilities.
News and World Report article on Why You Should Learn a Different Language. It automatically sparks your interest in cultural traditions associated with learning a language. Of course, you can still learn about other cultures, but language learning really allows for a more immersive experience. In most cases, translation efforts cannot fully grasp the nuances conveyed in different languages.
Learning a second or third language is not a cognitively unnatural task, nor does it have harmful consequences at any point in life. New research, especially the work made possible by the revolution in neuroscience, shows that all languages that an individual knows and uses are processed in an integrated linguistic system in which there is extensive interaction (Sigman, Peña, Goldin, & Ribeiro, 2014). This interaction between languages leads to competition between known languages that needs to be regulated. Although this requirement шведски език софия can incur upfront costs during learning, it appears to be the flip side of a process that brings significant benefits to the development of cognitive control. Although most of the world is multilingual, the use of two or more languages in the United States has historically been called an aggravating factor rather than an advantage. Attitudes toward languages other than English were confused with attitudes toward immigration and cultural diversity, leading to a plethora of mythologies surrounding language learning and language use.
This group of works, which shows that bilinguals are better language learners than monolinguals, is of course no surprise, because bilinguals have learned something important about learning itself. One hypothesis for this finding is that the benefits of language learning for bilinguals result from the improvement of self-regulated processes. Bilingual learning to control languages that are not used, and this control can bring benefits not only to executive function, but also to learning mechanisms in general. Several researchers are now conducting a research program to ask whether a new language learning training for older adults brings benefits to counteract age-related cognitive decline (Antoniou, Gunasekera, & Wong, 2013).
Strong evidence shows that the time spent learning foreign languages greatly strengthens the basic subject areas of reading, English proficiency, social studies and mathematics. In a survey of 581 alumni of the American Graduate School of International Management in Glendale, Arizona, the majority of graduates said they had gained a competitive advantage through their knowledge of foreign languages and other cultures. A big reason for cultural stereotypes and prejudices is the lack of understanding between people from different cultures. The way languages are formed and local language like slang can give a good idea of the people who speak them.
Speaking multiple languages also improves cognitive skills that have nothing to do with linguistics, such as problem-solving, creativity, and memory. The cognitive benefits of learning a second language are even greater for young children. Research shows that bilingual children in primary school provide higher basic cognitive skills and score higher on SAT compared to their monolingual peers.
The form of linguistic experience will differ between individuals and in different linguistic and cultural contexts. These distinctions, the course of language learning, and the resulting knowledge of each language will be crucial, but our interpretation of the available research is that bilingualism and multilingualism are similar rather than different. The crucial distinction will be between people who are monolingual and people who speak two or more languages. Babies are able to identify and distinguish linguistic sounds in the different languages used at home before they are actually able to use the language. Research shows that monolingual babies only identify the unique language they are exposed to.
Adopting English as the only language or majority language in the United States has helped foster the belief that acquiring a second language as an adult is an impossible task that can only be successfully accomplished by a few who have a special talent for language learning. Although young children seem to be able to acquire multiple languages easily, it has often been assumed that introducing a second language too early in childhood creates confusion and irrevocably damages the child’s language and cognitive development. It has also been suggested that language mixing or language switching between competent speakers of two or more languages in conversation with others who are equally competent is a sign of pathology or incomplete language skills. These and other attitudes and views on multilingualism in the United States have influenced not only public perceptions, but also those of educators and scientists. There are tangible benefits to being bilingual: it can improve your brain and memory functions, boost your creativity and self-esteem, improve your career opportunities, and improve your understanding of the language you already speak. Read on to learn more about the benefits of learning a foreign language.
By learning and learning a new language, you will not only learn to communicate in that language, but you will also gain insight into the culture and people of this nation. With your competition in the global market, you will learn to sympathize with and understand the people who speak the language. In addition, you will know their history, their pain and their victories. Consequently, create a relationship between your culture and language with the language and culture you have learned. By understanding different languages and cultures, you can’t offend anyone. I’ve used my foreign language skills in every job I’ve had since graduating from college in 2011, from consulting to sales to global operations.