Surprising Things that Happen When You Learn a New Language

Everyone has a different reason to learn a new language. Maybe you want to communicate with your coworkers or clients better, or maybe you like the way it sounds. You could want to make new friends, or even have the desire to travel around the world. Whatever your reason may be to learn a new language, you’ll be surprised by what happens in your brain and life after you start learning it. Keep reading to learn more!

The size of your brain increases

According to a Swedish study, the size of two parts of your brain increase- the hippocampus and the cerebral cortex. In fact, these are the parts of your brain that are in charge of memory and learning. When you learn a new language, you keep your brain active and engaged, and this can benefit your ability to learn and remember over time.

Delayed onset of neurological diseases

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By speaking another language, you actually reduce your risk of age-related neurological conditions, like dementia or Alzheimer’s. Scientists still aren’t exactly sure why this happens, but some think it’s because it could increase blood and oxygen flow to the brain. Your focus and attention span improves when you speak multiple languages, too, and so it keeps your brain active as you age.

Make friends around the world in your new language

This one might not be as surprising, but when you speak another language, you’re able to make connections with a much larger region of the world. There are 21 countries with Spanish as their official language, and lots more that have a high amount of Spanish-speakers there. In addition, there are millions more people around the world that speak Spanish as a second language. This means that wherever you go, the odds of you meeting someone that speaks Spanish as their first or second language are extremely high. This means there are lots more friends and connections out there!

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There are plenty of other benefits of learning a new language. You don’t need to be in a Spanish-speaking country, either. You can start to learn Spanish in the comfort of your home. What made you want to learn Spanish? Are there other great reasons you can think of?