Learn at least one foreign language 

Speaking at least one foreign language is a must today, and most individuals opt for the English language which is internationally spoken. You too may look at language learning as a necessity of life, work or study, but there are in fact 35 other proven benefits of language learning that you may not be aware of.

1) Your brain will grow in size!

According to a recent study, after only three months of learning a foreign language, the gray matter of your brain grows larger in the middle frontal part. So, learn a foreign language to enjoy a larger (obviously better) brain.

References:
(Johan Mårtensson, Johan Eriksson, Nils Christian Bodammerc, Magnus Lindgren, Mikael Johansson, Lars Nyberg, Martin Lövdén (2012). “Growth of language-related brain areas after foreign language learning“.)

2) You will have better memory

Research conducted at Spain’s Granada University has revealed that children who learn a second language are able to recall memories better than monolinguals, or speakers of just one language.

References:
(Julia Morales, Alejandra Calvo, Ellen Bialystok (2013). “Working memory development in monolingual and bilingual children“.)

3) You will have better listening skills

When you start learning a foreign language “listening” is a pure nightmare, isn’t it? And as the brain has to work really hard to distinguish between different types of sounds in different languages, being bilingual leads to improved listening skills in your own mother tongue!

Reference:
Krizman et al., 2012

4) You will be more creative

As Kathryn Bamford and Donald Mizokawa’s have discovered, learning a foreign language improves not only your ability to solve problems and to think more logically, but it can also boost your creativity.

References:
Kathryn W. Bamford, Donald T. Mizokawa (2006). “Additive-Bilingual (Immersion) Education: Cognitive and Language Development“.

5) You will understand your own language better

You can never understand one language until you understand at least two. 

— Geoffrey Willans

You speak your mother tongue without even thinking about the grammar you use. You can hardly tell the difference between the past tense and the past perfect tense, for example, but once you start learning a foreign language, you become much more sensitive about your own language, and as a result understand it much better. 

Research suggests that foreign language study “enhances children’s understanding of how language itself works and their ability to manipulate language in the service of thinking and problem solving.” (Cummins 1981)

Read More

There are 30 more benefits to learning a foreign language that are fully discussed on this blog post: 

http://www.universeofmemory.com/benefits-of-language-learning