You are already aware that learning a foreign language can help further your career. But did you know that it can also have a significant positive impact on your health too?
In this article, we will tell you some surprising health benefits of learning a second language and why it may be a good time to enroll for those Japanese Language Classes you have been putting off.
Improves your decision making capabilities
When you are able to speak more than one language, you get better at making decisions. According to studies, people are who speak another language are able to pick on the subtleties in any situation and act in accordance with what they think is right. This heightened awareness of the situation can help one make more rational decisions as opposed to monolingual people who are more emotionally driven when making decisions.
Helps improve your memory
Learning a foreign language helps in improving your memory. A recent study revealed that bilingual children are able to perform better academically, as compared to monolingual children. The study also emphasized that more than one language contributes significantly in enhancing cognitive functions associated with memory.
Enhances your attention span
We live in a world that is overrun by distractions. But when you learn a second language, you learn to focus, thereby overlooking all the distractions to stay committed to the task at hand. A bilingual becomes accustomed to switching between tasks with ease which helps the brain to remain focused and filter information as per requirement. Basically, a bilingual person is better at concentrating on what they are doing such as reading, writing etc. They are able block out all distractions or noise from their environment.
Ability to multitask
As you are able to increase your attention span, you are able to enhance your ability to multitask. A research recently revealed that bilinguals have a better working memory that allows them to focus their attention and block out all distractions. They are also able to switch between tasks with ease.
Better cognitive skills
There has been plenty of research and study that shows how cognitive skills get better when you are a bilingual. Studies conducted by the experts at University of Edinburgh explained that bilingual people are more fluent, score better on reading tests, and also help them become better students. Interestingly, this visible improvement in cognitive skills is irrespective of the age they learn the foreign language in. So if you think you are too old to learn a new skill, then you can stop giving yourself that excuse. If anything, learning a new language will only help you learn other things quickly.
Makes you more fluent in your first language
This has got to be the most interesting aspect of learning a foreign language! As a learn a second language, your mother tongue becomes better as your grammar improves. You gain a renewed sense of linguistic awareness that you can transfer back to your mother tongue. As a result, you can become a better communicator, writer, reader, and speaker of your native language!
Increase the size of your brain!
As insane as it may sound, learning a foreign language can increase the size of your brain. When a group of scientists performed an MRI study on participants who studied another language, they realized that a part of their brains were bigger than people who were monolinguals.
Delays the onset of dementia
By now you know that learning a new language has clear health benefits. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that acquiring another language skill will keep your brain healthy for long. Scientists in their study have found that dementia and bilingualism are related in the sense that people who speak more than one tongue tend to reduce the possibilities of facing dementia due to cognitive decline.
When you speak more than one language, you exercise your brain enough to keep it active and sharp. Apart from so many other benefits, you can also delay the onset of dementia by learning a new language!
Learning a new language has many benefits, as we already know. But nobody would have thought that it could impact your life in such a way! But now you do which makes it a good reason to invest in this skill. If you have been planning to expand your repository of skillsets, then a new language will not only make a great addition but will also improve your health in so many ways, as has been described above.
So, what are you waiting for? Research some fun online courses or enroll in a class. Find the language that intrigues you the most and sign up for it. You will soon see why it was one of your best decisions!
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