Learning a new language can be both challenging and rewarding for many people in the world. In today’s society, it brings so many benefits and changes to someone’s life.
Often, people do not know where to start when it comes to learning a new language or applying it to their daily lives. It is a long process but with hard work, perseverance, and extra help, it is worth it.
What should someone do to gain fluency in another language?
There are countless ways to learn a new language. These include studying vocabulary, watching movies, or listening to music in that language. Also, using online study tools, reading books, and taking classes have proven to help. Either way, it is important to have a plan for how to study. According to The Learning Center at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, there are three basics to learning a new language. The first basic is comprehensible input. This involves exposure to something and learning to understand it (hearing or reading). The second basic is comprehensible output. This means learning to produce something in a new language (speaking or writing). The third basic is review or feedback, which is identifying and fixing errors. These three basics can help specify the different ways to steer one’s learning.
To be more specific, there are even more effective ways to immerse oneself in a language. These include having a friend who is a native speaker or studying abroad. The writing team for GoAbroad– a collection of international travel writers– described how it is beneficial to make friends with native speakers. They “are great teachers (and the best way to learn a language) because they know all the in’s and out’s of the language, they are experts in conversational speaking, and they can teach slang, jokes, and references that you may otherwise not be privy to.” It is so beneficial to do this since you can talk with someone while still learning how to speak that language. Also, according to GoAbroad, one of the most effective ways to learn a foreign language is to live abroad. Then, the learner can stay in a host home in that specific country. It allows the learner to pick up so much information, which will have anyone fluent in only a few months.
Why is learning a new language beneficial?
Learning a new language comes with many benefits to one’s life. According to Carley Spence, a Writer for Cambridge University Press & Assessment, learning a new language benefits the brain. These benefits include “better academic performance,” “improved concentration,” “a more powerful memory,” “stronger communication skills,” and an increased amount of creativity. So, knowing many languages strengthens one’s skills a lot. Being a language learner makes someone more aware and understanding of other cultures. For example, learning Spanish gives people a new appreciation for the culture of Latin American countries. It allows for more open-mindedness and curiosity about new places. So, learning a new language is very rewarding and valuable.
How does being bilingual change brain structure?
Being bilingual or multilingual can change the structure of the brain in many ways. “Bilingual people have more of these neurons and dendrites compared to people who speak only one language. This means that their grey matter is denser,” said Carley Spence. Dense grey matter means that the brain can mentally develop much further. This also comes with an increased level of cognitive function.
Along with that, “bilingualism also has an impact on white matter – that is, a system of nerve fibres which connect all four lobes of the brain. This system coordinates communication between the different brain regions, helping your brain to learn and function,” said Spence. From this, it is clear that the brain changes a lot as a person learns more languages and gains fluency. It is a great exercise for the brain and makes it stronger and healthier.
In the end, there are many ways to learn a second or third language. Without a doubt, this is a long and hard process. Yet, it is valuable and beneficial, especially in the world that people are living in right now. There are some serious benefits and changes to the brain when learning a new language. So, study that new language. Do it, it will all be worth it in the end.
