The Hungarian translator, Kató Lomb once said, “We should learn languages because language is the only thing worth knowing, even poorly.”

 

By learning English, you open a world of new possibilities. While many people believe speaking a second language is limited to only advantages in communication, it can also benefit you neurologically. These benefits will stay with you, even if you never become fluent. Just learning a little bit of English can stretch your mind and improve various cognitive abilities.

 

Neurons

 

A healthy brain has many neurons working together to support intelligence. Bilinguals in research studies who received brain scans were proven to have denser and larger amounts of grey matter, which is created by groups of neurons. Being bilingual also creates stronger connections between neurons by growing more durable white matter which helps keep your brain in good shape.

 

Problem-Solving

 

People who speak another language, when faced with a challenging task, can solve it quickly and efficiently. Studies suggest that bilinguals have the flexibility and ability to make decisions while considering all of the options. Being clear-headed when problem-solving is a beneficial skillset to have while studying or working in any career.

 

Memory

 

The hippocampus and cerebral cortex are seen to increase in size when studying and acquiring a new language. The language area of the brain is also responsible for working memory processing which stores more information in the long-term memory. Studies have shown bilinguals were more likely to recall short-term information than monolinguals.

 

Creativity

 

It is no coincidence that some of the world’s greatest artists are bilingual. Learning a second language helps people to step outside of their comfort zones. Bilinguals are better able to see the world from different perspectives and are more likely to share open-minded opinions. They are cognitively flexible in that they can bring a unique viewpoint to projects because their brains are constantly working to assess situations and switch between the two languages.

 

Executive Functioning

 

The ability to pay attention and focus is essential in everyday life. Bilinguals are able to use one language at a time, storing the other for later use. This transfers into multitasking, where they can focus their attention on an activity and tune out distractions around them, better than their monolingual peers.

 

Academic Performance

 

Unsurprisingly, multilingual people outperform others not just in language classes, but across the academic board. Research shows that bilinguals even score higher on standardized tests. This may be due to how the bilingual person learns new study strategies to discover how they learn best while learning their second language. Henceforth, these strategies transfer over into other academic areas, making academic assignments easier altogether.  

There are many neurological benefits to learning a new language. Scientists are even using second language instruction to study the positive effects on the elderly who have memory loss or are in a cognitive decline. All over the world people are bettering their brains through learning English. What are you waiting for? Start growing your brain today!