By: Sammy Pierre
Learning a new language
isn’t an easy thing to do and oftentimes people fear just the idea of it.
However, there may be a new reason to pick one up if you’re on the fence. In a
recent study done by NeuroImage, they showed how certain languages can affect
the physical wiring in one’s brain.
This article will be
looking into just what kind of impact picking up a new language can have on an
individual.
Left and Right Hemispheres
In the
study done by NeuroImage, they focused on German and Arabic speakers; it was
hinted how these groups were one of the firsts to have their different
connection strengths identified in certain areas of the brain.
Neuroscientist Alfred
Anwander says that people who know multiple languages are different because the
“specific difficulties [of each language] leave distinct traces in the brain.”
In other words, because each language has its own set of difficulties, the
brain will shape and mold according to said language.
This was able to be
observed because of the two languages selected for the experiment. The German
speakers were more likely to have stronger connections in the left hemisphere
while the Arabic speakers, who had just moved to Germany and did not yet speak
the language, were more likely to have stronger connections on the right
side.
How does the brain know
which side to use for German speakers vs Arabic speakers? Our brain is made up
of different regions connected by white matter. The tissue uses nerve cells
similar to wires to connect one part of the brain to another. The more this
connection is put to use, the stronger it becomes.
For the German speakers,
their language allows for them to move words around in a sentence and it still
be coherent. This would play a role in how the left hemisphere is able to
analyze what order the words are in. For Arabic speakers, their language may
rely more on the right hemisphere in which they analyze sounds and words due to
the complexity of their roots.
Benefits
People
choose to study a new language for all types of reasons. Some need to know a
second language because of their job while others may need one if moving to a
foreign country. Some people pick one up as a hobby while others use it to stay
sharp and improve different aspects of their life.
Dr. Olga Amarie, a French
professor at Georgia Southern University, has been all over the world and
picked up a few different languages along the way. Along with French and
English, she also speaks Romanian and Russian.
“It wasn’t easy but it’s
been very beneficial,” Amarie said. “I read the news in French, watch Russian
films and I have access to more information.”
As a teacher at the
university for over 10 years she’s been able to see how learning new languages
has impacted her students.
“Some of them can now
travel and survive in other countries, experience other cultures and if they’re
looking for a job it helps them in that way as well.”
With a majority of her
students being older than sixty, some of them also use it as a way to keep up
their memory. Along with memory, it can also help with critical thinking and
creativity as well.
The benefits of picking up
a second language are truly endless and fulfilling.
“I wish everybody would
consider taking a foreign language.”
Sources
Dr. Olga
Amarie: oamarie@georgiasouthern.edu