Better brains through foreign-language learning
A study by a research team appointed by the European Commission finds that multililngualism may benefit brains in a variety of ways:
- learning in general
- complex thinking and creativity
- mental flexibility
- interpersonal and communication skills
- delay of age-related mental diminishment
“It is obvious that enhanced memory can have a profound impact on cognitive function,” says David Marsh, specialized planner at the Continuing Professional Development Centre of Jyväskylä University, who coordinated the international research team behind the study. ” This may be one reason why the multilingual shows superior performance in handling complex and demanding problem-solving tasks when compared to monolinguals. They seem to be able to have an advantage in handling certain thinking processes.”
Apparently learning a language as a discreet subject does not work as effectively as embedding second-language learning into other subjects. The methodology of the study is unclear to me, but I haven’t read the whole report.
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Posted: November 18th, 2009 under language.
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