We all agree that learning a second language is great and healthy for our brains. A new study has discovered that learning a new language changes the structural and functional networks in our brains, regardless of age.
Researchers at Penn State University have shown that learning a new language can significantly change our brain structure, whether we’re 4 or 84, and the networks that enable communication between regions become stronger.
We strengthen our brains with every new thing we learn. Just as physical exercise strengthens our muscles, tissues, and organs, the more we exercise certain areas of the brain, the more successful these areas communicate with each other.
The Penn State University team observed the brain activity of a group of native English-speaking volunteers as they learned Mandarin Chinese words. They recruited 38 volunteers of different ages. Half of the group took language lessons, while the other half served as a control group, and brain scans were conducted on the volunteers over a period of 6 weeks. The participants underwent fMRI scans twice, once before the experiment began and once at the end of the 6-week period. When the two scans were compared, the team noticed significant changes in the physical structure of the brain.
Compared to the control group, the brain structures of the group members who attended the lessons showed various structural and functional changes. First, it was seen that the brain networks were better integrated, meaning that they learned more flexibly, faster and more effectively. In addition, the first fMRI scan showed that those who were high achievers in the lessons had much more developed neural networks than those who had difficulty. This difference showed that they had a habit of learning new things and that they did more brain exercise.
To determine the level of connectivity and efficiency of the participants' neural networks, the researchers analyzed the strength and direction of the connections between specific areas of the brain that were activated during learning. The stronger the connections between two areas, the faster and more efficiently that part could work together as a whole network.
Foreign Language Learners Have Stronger Brains!
Differences in communication between the brain's neural networks parallel to the success levels of language learning participants.
The research team also found that the language learners had increased density in their gray and white matter, with white matter tissue becoming stronger. Gray matter is a neural tissue that includes specific regions involved in muscle control, memory organization, emotions, and sensory perceptions such as vision and hearing. The white matter's function is to connect gray matter regions together in the brain tissue, creating a kind of communication pipeline within the brain.
The team told the Journal of Neurolinguistics that when the evidence examined to date is taken together, this result, along with observations made in other areas, paints a very consistent picture of structural neuroplasticity.
“The brain changes in terms of increased gray matter (GM) and increased density of white matter (WM) when experiencing a second language. This change can be seen in children, young adults, or the elderly. Moreover, this change can occur rapidly with short-term language learning or training. Moreover, this change is specific to the individual according to age, acquisitions, proficiency, performance level, specific characteristics of the language, and individual differences.”
“What is really interesting is that, contrary to previous studies, the brain is much more plastic than we thought. We can still see anatomical changes—which is very encouraging in terms of aging,” said Ping Li, Professor of Psychology, Linguistics, and Information Technology Science, who led the research team, in a press release.
SOURCE: SCIENCE ALERT
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