Clearly learning of the new language structurally strengthens the brain regardless of age

ByLei Gao

"Brain power" is trained by studying multilingualism, which leads to prevention of dementiaResearch results announcedAlthough it is being done, learning languages ​​other than the mother tongue is a new way to physically change the structure of the brain regardless of age, to improve the function of the brainPenn State UniversityIt became clear by research of.

Learning languages ​​is a workout for brains, both young and old | Penn State University
http://news.psu.edu/story/334349/2014/11/12/research/learning-languages-workout-brains-both-young-and-old


Pennsylvania State University's Faculty of Psychology, Linguistics, Information Science and TechnologyPin · LeeAccording to the research by the professor, it turned out that language learning other than the mother tongue structurally and functionally strengthens the brain network of the learner. Professor Lee says, "Since learning in the second language uses a specific area of ​​the brain, it has effects like" brain gymnastics "to strengthen and grow the brain."

Professor's research team conducted brain research to gather 39 English speakers whose native language is English and to make half of the participants learn Chinese vocabulary for 6 weeks. The team who learned the new vocabulary found that the achievement rate of goal is high until learning the learned vocabulary compared to the team who did not learn, and the network in the brain is strengthened. I learned that the task "to learn a new language" is a suitable work to increase the brain's flexibility and efficiency.

Also, when the brains of the participants were scanned by MRI before and after the start of learning, it was said that the nerves connecting the brain networks physically developed compared to before learning. We also know that this effect can be obtained regardless of the learner's age. Professor Lee says, "The most interesting discovery is that the brain was more flexible than we had thought contrary to traditional research, and learning of the new language may bring people a" beautiful aging ", I am talking.


The research team is seeking ways to more efficiently strengthen the network in the brain, and it is starting to develop an interactive language learning system using the virtual 3D environment. This researchThe National Science Foundation(NSF), and as research on strengthening the function of the brain by the language learning process advances, even in the future, like a child said to be easy to acquire language even for adults It means that you will be able to learn languages ​​easily.