The Importance Of Learning A Second Language As A Teenagers

This trend was also prevalent in the right hemisphere for bilinguals however not seen in monolinguals (x = 56, y = -53, z = 42; Z-score = 3.4; P<0.001). Voxel-based morphometry revealed that overall proficiency correlated negatively with age of acquisition (P<0.01; r=-0.855) and second-language proficiency correlated with grey-matter density in exactly the same left inferior parietal region previously identified by a different study (x = -48, y = -59, z = 46; Z-score = 4.1; P<0.05). (Mechelli, 2004)

Over the past several decades, cognitive psychology researchers have suggested that different types of cognitive and behavioral experiences can change the structure and function of a learner's brain over time. In an article in the Journal of Cognitive Psychology, Ellen Bialystok (University of York) presented bilingualism as an experience that could have a significant impact on long-term neurology and cognitive development and function.However, it was somewhat difficult to prove the specific correlation that the effects of bilingualism actually have on brain function. The study of the effects of bilingualism on cognitive development analyzes only several measurable structural and cognitive effects of bilingualism, based on a component perspective. This approach, however, presented an overly brief understanding of bilingual mental and brain structures and the lack of an accurate analysis of widely reconstructed structures that arise from many contextual factors that lead to complex changes in function.

The first myth of the monolingual brain means that infant’s brains are monolingual and treat two different languages as the same language. This, however, is untrue; infants can learn two languages at the same time and will not get confused between the two. Evidence for the myth of the monolingual brain comes from developmental milestones, differentiated use of two languages, and grammatical constraints on bilingual code mixing. In regards to developmental milestones, bilingualism versus monolingualism has no known consequences for phonological

Mårtensson, J., Eriksson, J., Bodammer, N. C., Lindgren, M., Johansson, M., Nyberg, L., & Lövdén, M. (2012). Growth of language-related brain areas after foreign language learning. NeuroImage, 63(1), 240-244.

This investigation discusses the question of “Is the brain organized differently in bilingual individuals?”. This question was brought upon living in a bilingual community at school, with both Arabic and English speakers. This essay will demonstrate the brain imaging techniques used to differentiate the monolingual brain from a bilingual brain, research studies, and the positive and negative outcomes toward a bilingual brain. Language constructs our relationship with the world arounds us in the ways we express ourselves, therefore what does it mean to be bilingual and monolingual? Bilingualism refers to an individual’s ability to speak two or more languages fluently even if one language is learned later on in life. However, monolinguals are

Learning a foreign language is very useful for young people today with rising global connections. For that reason, many universities offer foreign language classes to improve young people’s language skills. Thereby (or therefore?) , I wanted to observe a language class at my university. On the 1st week of July, I went to a Japanese language classroom in the Wellman Hall. After the brief grammar lecture, the instructor used social learning activities(?) by dividing the class into groups of 3 students. Throughout the group activity, the instructor observed the use of grammar and provided feedback. At the corner, I observed a group creating a dialog based on the PowerPoint instruction. Once the instructor stated a time limit for the activity, the students started to come up with several different sentences, correcting each other’s whenever someone made a mistake. For the most of the time, students would use the grammar correctly, but sometimes they used wrong verb tenses or used wrong passive forms. Throughout this activity, the students displayed active learning by participating in a group activity and even joked about how some words sound like a funny word. For the next activity, the Vygotsky’s theory, Zone of Proximal Development was used when the instructor made students read after the audio file, sounding each word out loud. Students listened to the audio file first, then sound out the words. Some students seemed to struggle with several words written in Kanji (Chinese

The earlier purchase of the second language and adeptness, increases the volume of grey matter which provides a balance between the two languages. However, the benefits of bilingualism isn’t limited to people born bilingual, but also the ones who gain it later in life. Bilinguals excel monolinguals in an improved metalinguistic alertness, memory and creativity. Dr. Mercola deduces that some researchers claim that adults may be better at learning a new language than children. Where, adults have more developed skills and knowledge as compared to children. Children excel in obtaining a similar accent of the new language without the influence of their native language like adults. However, the accent doesn’t affect the fluency and communication skills where adults outdo children in; due to the greater knowledge. She then suggests that it’s never too late to learn a new language, and to obtain the best skills you should engage yourself in a class rather than learning it by yourself. Mercola enumerates other activates that can lift your mental health and

Australia is an extremely culturally diverse country, therefore many different languages are spoken in homes and communities across Australia. Consequently many primary school students are learning English as an additional language. EAL/D is an acronym used to refer to students whose first language is a language or dialect other than Standard Australian English; that is English is an additional language or dialect. In Australian schools it is essential students are able to speak and read English in order for them to understand and succeed in all content learning areas.

Children, after a year of learning a second language, will experience increased neural activity when exposed to an unfamiliar language compared with monolingual children. That is, their brains are effortlessly

A bilingualism have the ability to utilize several languages (Gollan, el al., 2007). Across the world, most of the population is often bilingual or multilingual, within Australia more than 200 different languages are spoken with approximately 19% of people speaking a language besides English (Gollan, el al., 2007). The objective of this paper is to present several problems regarding bilingualism, and also analyze to some areas associate bilingualism, relating to cognitive factors. Individuals utilize the term bilingualism in different ways. For other people, this means that an equal ability to speak in two

It is important to recognize the neurological differences amongst monolingual and bilingual individuals. In the research community, many studies have been conducted to investigate the way both groups process language. Cross-linguistic development anatomically changes the structure of the brain that results in an enlarged

The United States embraces a medley of numerous languages. From Spanish to German, many people in the U.S. speak another language or have been taught another language during their academic careers. Furthermore, language immersion begins either in middle school or high school. Schools offer a wide variety of languages, from Arabic to German, to their students. Over the years, studies have shown that learning a new language improves the brain’s memory and other cerebral skills. In addition, studies have shown that the bilingual brain possesses better cognitive skills than the monolingual brain. Moreover, some studies show that if students learned foreign languages at a younger age, it would benefit them even more. Therefore, should foreign languages be introduced to students at a younger age? After analyzing the scientific, cultural, academic, and artistic aspects of bilingualism at a younger age, the benefits of being bilingual at a younger age aid students in the long run, neurologically, and can possibly increase their IQ.

But brain researchers said they see no reason why not. The study showed that bilingual young adults performed better in ignoring irrelevant stimuli and focusing on relevant information. One possible reason for this ability is that the processes of learning two languages and switching back and forth between them, train the brain to divide important from less important auditory information. Also, researchers have found that found that dementia occurred four or five years later among people who spent their lives speaking two languages compared to those who spoke only

Being able to fluently speak two languages is a very demanding and competitive skill. The capability to articulate thoughts to people who may not speak the same primary language as you is very profitable not only in the work force, but also in everyday life. Learning a second language also helps to shorten cultural gaps between different countries. With the seemingly increased importance in learning a second language, schools nationwide have implemented learning a foreign language as a requirement, for graduation in High School. However, starting to learn a second language in kindergarten is the most effective and beneficial practice in leading a child on the path to fluently speaking another language. This practice is more effective and

The brain function in language acquisition has been studied to identify that neurological developments affect second language acquisition. Hemispheric lateralization of the brain is critical to second language learning. Language function is controlled by the left side of the brain. Lateralization starts about the age of 2 and finishes near puberty (Brown, 2007, p. 58). The flexibility of the brain before puberty activates children’s first language acquisition. However, as the lateralization is completed, language function is assigned to left brain. As a result of lateralization, children lost the brain flexibility which facilitates language learning and it becomes considerably difficult to acquire another language, especially “authentic” pronunciation