You are undoubtedly well aware of the benefits of having at least one foreign language on your CV. It expands your social network and keeps you open to international job opportunities.
But do you know that getting a new language can improve your mental health?
People conducted many studies about how to improve mental health by learning languages.
Learning a foreign language can conquer anxiety and sadness and enhance your mental health.
Although scientists believe there is still much to learn about the association between learning a novel language and mental health, the initial results are encouraging.
On the surface, learning a new language is very difficult and practically impossible. You can start using new terms in a few weeks by taking them one step at a time.
I can give you a hint of what’s the best way to learn Spanish.
You can master your Spanish, such as from native speakers while also getting a taste of another culture by studying the language in Spanish pop culture. Is. By giving you access to the real Spanish-speaking world, we’re enhancing the language learning experience.
Promote cognitive processes
Learning and utilizing a new language engages your brain. As a result, cognitive abilities may advance.
According to a review of 63 studies by Washington State University researchers, bilinguals engage in the following activities:
Better control of one’s attention
Improves working memory and symbolic and abstract representation abilities, among other things.
Learning other things becomes easier as you get better at the new language. This can help you develop new skills while at home.
Your communication skills have improved
After leaving high school, people with learning difficulties often withdraw, being affected by their autism or reading comprehension problems.
Learning a second language can help you improve your communication skills at any age.
Neuroplasticity makes it easier for young children to learn languages, but research shows that even university-aged students can achieve high levels of reading ability in a different language.
Because many terms share the exact linguistic origins across languages, doing so gives them a competitive advantage.
It promotes thinking
By living in the now, you can avoid thinking about the past or the future.
It helps people with anxiety problems that need to learn how to deal with complex emotions without becoming overwhelmed and unable to act.
Have you ever been distracted thinking about something else or read the correct text three times without understanding?
Maybe you’re just done with it. When you are distracted, your thoughts will naturally wander.
However, reading the exact text in a foreign language forces you to focus 100% on the task.
You divert your attention from your worries to constructive endeavours.
War depression
More than 264 million individuals worldwide suffer from depression.
The number is sure to rise as The Covid pandemic has left many unemployed and unable to visit relatives and friends.
You acquire new words, concepts, and people when you learn a new language. Without leaving your home, you can develop relationships and strengthen existing relationships.
It can significantly boost your well-being while helping to fight depression and anxiety.
Delayed symptoms of dementia
Learning a new language makes your brain more flexible because the integrity of the white matter improves. Its function enables messages to be transmitted quickly and efficiently throughout the nervous system and brain. You finally strengthen the white case of your brain.
Although dementia may seem far away, consider investing in your future and health by learning a new language.
Get better after a brain injury
As with dementia, you probably aren’t thinking about a stroke. But it’s always a good idea to be prepared. A stroke can cause brain injury and a study from the University of Edinburgh shows that learning a new language can speed up your recovery and return to everyday life. This only works if you have already picked up a new language.
A clear mind
People are generally more tolerant and less prejudiced when they study a foreign language.
A Concordia University study examined the effects of bilingualism on children’s development.
When asked whether a duck picked up by a dog barks or barks, many bilingual children thought it barked, while most monolingual children thought it barked.
He illustrated how picking up a new language can broaden one’s horizons and help connect with others.
Build confidence
When learning a new language, you must overcome many psychological hurdles and overcome your insecurities about trying anything new. As you know, your self-esteem increases.
The welfare of learning a new language can be felt immediately. When familiar with a new word, you can directly use it to communicate, translate, or understand a specific concept.
These benefits significantly increase your self-awareness and confidence. Such confidence
boosters keep visitors alert and composed when many stay home.
The Romance languages comprise a subset of the Italic branch of the Indo-European language family.
They are a collection of languages related to Later Latin, or Vulgar Latin, dating from
the 3rd century AD. French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Romanian are the main languages of the family. All these are national languages.
It helps you in your relationships with others
Do you ever feel entirely at home in the community you find yourself in? If so, you’re not
alone. Thankfully, the earth is vast, and there are many. Learning a language can be beneficial, especially if you need more resources to travel widely.
You can enrol in a pen pal program and start chatting with a new acquaintance from the other side of the world after you have achieved a basic level of proficiency in your chosen language. You can learn about how people view the human experience and share more than just verbal exchanges.
It provides empathy
Today’s society is woefully lacking in empathy. However, the ability to put yourself in another person’s shoes has clear benefits on both personal and professional fronts.
Being aware of diversity is beneficial in today’s workplace. Learning a foreign language enables you to appreciate these contributions. Numerous studies show that diverse teams perform better.
Similarly, how many relationships end because of miscommunication? Learning a new language can change your mind, making you more receptive to different perspectives. You can avoid potentially tense situations by taking a few extra seconds to consider whether you understand what they’re saying.
You defend against cognitive decline
Many older people have cognitive decline. Learning a foreign language will keep your mind busy and help you avoid it.
A study by John Grundy discovered that being multilingual helps people live longer and delays the onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms.
End the sadness
Learning a language is difficult, as you know. Learning a language requires mindfulness, which helps us focus on our duties. We can turn everything off and let our brains work on
these verb tenses.
Even in moderate cases of depression, there is anecdotal evidence to support the benefits of language learning.
Learning helps you focus, gives you a job with achievable goals, and often enables you to broaden your social network. All these are important ways to overcome depression.
Reduced risk of Alzheimer’s
A person’s cognitive abilities deteriorate with Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia, or loss of memory and judgment, is another effect of this brain disorder. Although no disease is curable, you can prevent it.
Alzheimer’s Society UK claims bilingual brains are more resistant to Alzheimer’s and dementia. The researchers used FDG-PET brain scans of 45 German-Italian and 40 monolingual speakers.
Surprisingly, bilinguals have more active connections in the parts of the brain that drive executive function. In other words, the multilingual brain was more adaptable because it could move quickly between many languages. Isn’t that a great argument to start learning a new language immediately?
Your mind can be strengthened, and your memory, intellect, and mental health can be preserved with just one more language. Final Manifestations
As you can see, many ways to study a foreign language can enhance your mental and cognitive abilities.
However, a lot depends on your motivation and the circumstances surrounding your language learning.
For example, if you’re not getting the desired results, you may experience low self-esteem or self-esteem. Your teacher or tutor needs to encourage you to keep going.
So we can say that a foreign language can improve our mental health.
Ellen Diamond did her degree in psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. She is interested in mental health, wellness, and lifestyle.
