There are many different benefits of learning a foreign language.
For instance, you can immerse yourself more in local cultures when you travel the world, you can open up more career opportunities, and you can improve your learning skills.
Learning another language could also be beneficial for your mental health in several ways.
Let’s find out more.
Learning Another Language Can Improve Cognitive Functions
Learning another language may enable you to enhance your cognitive functions, and when you improve your cognitive function, you can improve your mental health.
Basically, by learning a new language, you exercise your brain, which can lead to improved cognitive function.
According to a study by researchers at Washington State University, people who speak two languages increase their attentional control, improve their memory, and enhance their abstract and symbolic representation skills.
Also, when you learn another language, learning other things can become easier.
Learning Another Language Could Alleviate Symptoms of Depression
Because learning another language can improve cognitive functions, it can potentially help people to improve the mental health condition of depression.
In general, depression has a negative impact on cognition. For instance, sufferers of depression can find it difficult to put their thoughts together, which can worsen things like mood swings and insomnia.
So, when people with depression learn another language, their cognitive abilities can become improved and, in turn, that can help them to better deal with their symptoms.
As just one example, an article in the British newspaper The Guardian relates the story of one man who suffers from depression.
In the article, he states that learning German helped him to alleviate the symptoms of depression and that it also helped him to broaden his horizons and gain a greater sense of belonging.
Learning Another Language Could Reduce the Risk of Dementia
Dementia is well known for having detrimental effects on people’s cognition. Sufferers of dementia, also known as Alzheimer’s, can lose their memory and their judgment.
While, sadly, dementia cannot be cured, studies suggest learning a new language could play a crucial role in improving cognition in people who have the condition.
For example, according to the U.K. Alzheimer’s Society, bilingual brains are more resilient to dementia.
The society cites a study in which researchers performed brain scans of forty monolingual speakers and forty-five German/Italian speakers.
The results showed that the people who spoke two languages had increased functional connections in the areas of the brain that are responsible for executive control.
Learning Another Language Could Improve Multitasking Skills and Reduce Stress
In an indirect way, learning another language could help people to reduce feelings of stress.
That’s because bilingual people are able to multitask better compared to people who only speak one language.
When people are better at multitasking, they’re able to get more done in less time. Thus, they tend to be less stressed.
Learning Another Language Can Boost Confidence
Lastly, learning any new skill can boost a person’s confidence, not least learning another language.
Therefore, people who suffer from mental health conditions like anxiety and depression can boost their confidence when they learn a foreign language and, in turn, that can help them to handle their symptoms better.
What are you waiting for?
Whether you’re looking to improve your mental health or simply gain a new skill, learning another language has many benefits.
Today, it’s easier to start learning a foreign language than ever before.
All you have to do is join an online study program.
For instance, with Lingoda, you can learn French with native-level speakers and access live classes 24/7.
Summing Up
Learning languages can help mental health in various ways.
To recap, learning another language could:
- Improve cognitive functions.
- Alleviate symptoms of depression.
- Reduce the risk of dementia.
- Improve multitasking skills, which in turn could reduce stress.
- Boost confidence.