Have you ever wondered what happens to your brain when you learn something new? A lot of scientific experts ensure that the brain benefits when we are constantly learning something.

The brain is like a muscle, it exercises and becomes stronger after its constant stimulation. The scientists also guarantee that learning a new language is one of the most effective ways to stimulate your brain. If you find this topic interesting, maybe you also want to know about the bilingualism and its benefits.

The following article shares some of the benefits that your brain gets when learning a new language.

 

1. Flexibility and cognitive functions improvement

A study revealed that people who learn a L2 have more cognitive flexibility, which means that the brain is able to adapt the individual’s behavior and thinking in unknown or new situations.

Besides the fact that improves the brain flexibility, the cognitive functions benefit from this. Joaquin Foster, a professor from the California University in Los Angeles, mentioned that some of the mental flexibilities that improve when learning another language are the attention, perception, intelligence, and language.

 

2. Memory improvement

Learning everything regarding a language such as grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and reading help with the daily cognitive retention. The brain has to use different techniques so to absorb new grammar rules and vocabulary without mixing it with the native language. This would finally be implemented in other of your daily activities.

Besides being a benefit from learning a new language, this can be developed better with other activities, which you can look up on other of our articles, which talks about how to improve the memory?

 

3. Size increase

A recent study made in the Lund University, located in Sweden, made magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on a brain before and after learning a new language. MRI showed that some brain parts connected with the memory —like the hippocampus and the cerebral cortex— grow physically when they are under a constant stimulation.

 

4. Grey matter increase

Grey matter, or gray matter, covers an area of the central nervous system and the parts where the neurons are stand out from the rest. Gray matter is a substance that connects the different sections of the brain, making the data processing possible.

And it is said that the volume of gray matter increases as a result of learning a new language because the memory accelerates, cognitive functions develops and the size of the brain increases too.

 

5. Disease prevention

Although learning a language cannot eliminate the possibility of suffering Alzheimer or other diseases related to dementia, these can be prevented for up to 5 years when learning a new language. Incredible, isn’t it? Learning a new language benefits the brain and it is better than any prescribed medication.

And you, what are you waiting for to learn a second or new language? Care for your brain!