Saturday, 9 April 2022

Can Learning a New Language Help Improve Memory?

Photo by Compare Fibre on Unsplash


{This post is written in collaboration with Emily Jones}

It's called digital amnesia: Nowadays, we are entrusting our phones with all the things we used to remember on our own, effectively diminishing our memory. One in two people can't remember their children's phone number, and one in three can't even remember their partner's phone number. me included and he has had the same number for around a decade, it's crazy!

How can we train our ability to remember? Learning languages can help the brain improve concentration and aid memory, as explained in the infographic below - "SOS memory: does learning languages help the brain?" by Babbel, the world's first language learning app.

From Plato's aversion to writing, the culprit of taking away some of our memory, to fun facts about polyglots and the language of space, this infographic will take you on a journey into our ability to remember, and the difference that learning one or more languages can provide.

Short lessons, a new routine and spaced repetition are all useful tips and practices to help one's memory not only with a new language but also in all everyday situations, as proven by a Swedish study: Those who take language courses are better at remembering names of the people they just met.  


I'd like to tell you that I'm bilingual and can speak many languages but sadly it is always something I've struggled with, so an app like Babbel could make a real difference to me, breaking the learning down into manageable chunks and I can work at my own speed. It ends up being a win: win too as I'llimprove my memory skills as I also develop new language skills. I'm going to give it a go, why don't you too?


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