Speaking another language is good for your brain — at least that’s what we’ve heard.
But some new research paints a less-positive picture. Should you learn another language? And how?
Linguist Daniel Midgley gets bilingual on this episode of Talk the Talk.
Listen to this episode
You can listen to all the episodes of Talk the Talk by pasting this URL into your podlistener.
http://danielmidgley.com/talkthetalk/talk_classic.xml
Promo
Show notes
Dramatic decline in number of university students taking modern foreign languages
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/11412441/Dramatic-decline-in-number-of-university-students-taking-modern-foreign-languages.html
Only one in 65 new students chooses a modern language degree – we need a rethink
https://theconversation.com/only-one-in-65-new-students-chooses-a-modern-language-degree-we-need-a-rethink-37768
Americans are beginning to lose their love for foreign languages
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/02/19/americans-are-beginning-to-lose-their-love-for-foreign-languages/
Learning The Language
http://bcheights.com/opinions/2015/learning-language/
Facebook Is Cracking Down on Viral Hoaxes. Really.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2015/01/20/facebook_hoaxes_news_feed_changes_will_limit_false_news_stories.html
3 News defends use of Te Reo
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/266367/3-news-defends-use-of-te-reo
Kanoa Lloyd’s Te Reo stance wins plaudits
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/266391/te-reo-stance-wins-plaudits
NZ weather presenter hits back at criticism for using Maori language
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/02/18/nz-weather-presenter-hits-back-criticism-using-maori-language
100 Māori words every New Zealander should know
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/maori-language-week/100-maori-words
Learn about the structure of Te Reo, the Māori language
http://kupu.maori.nz/
Bill Gates wishes he’d learned a language.
http://www.9news.com.au/technology/2015/01/29/13/17/bill-gates-reveals-his-biggest-regret-in-life
Here’s the Reddit AMA with Bill Gates
http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2tzjp7/hi_reddit_im_bill_gates_and_im_back_for_my_third/co3q0hr
Now Skype can translate for us, what’s the point in learning a language?
http://theconversation.com/now-skype-can-translate-for-us-whats-the-point-in-learning-a-language-35923
Is Bilingualism Really an Advantage?
http://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/bilingual-advantage-aging-brain
Ask a Linguist: Will bilingualism affect my child’s intelligence?
http://linguistlist.org/ask-ling/biling2.cfm
“This research shows that bilingualism has a somewhat muted effect in adulthood but a larger role in older age, protecting against cognitive decline, a concept known as ‘cognitive reserve’.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22464592
Learning a New Language Stimulates Same Pleasure Centres in the Brain as Sex and Chocolate
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/learning-new-language-stimulates-same-pleasure-centres-brain-sex-chocolate-1471766
The pleasure of learning new words
http://www.ub.edu/web/ub/en/menu_eines/noticies/2014/10/063.html
The Role of Reward in Word Learning and Its Implications for Language Acquisition
http://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(14)01207-X
Speaking More Than One Language Could Sharpen Your Brain
http://time.com/3581457/bilingual-brain-smart/
How learning a new language changes your brain – at any age
http://www.sciencealert.com/here-s-how-learning-a-new-language-changes-your-brain-at-any-age
Learning languages is a workout for brains, both young and old
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-11/ps-lli111214.php
“The fact that bilinguals are constantly practicing inhibitory control could also help explain why bilingualism appears to offer a protective advantage against Alzheimer’s and dementia, said Marian.”
http://www.psypost.org/2014/11/bilingual-brains-better-equipped-process-information-29490
Bilingualism changes children’s beliefs about the world around them
http://www.psypost.org/2015/01/bilingualism-changes-childrens-beliefs-world-around-30786
Saved by song: can singing improve your language skills?
http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/feb/11/singing-improve-language-skills-spanish-portuguese
The Benefits of Failing at French
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/16/opinion/16alexander.html
Hallo, hola, olá to the new, more powerful Google Translate app
http://googleblog.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/hallo-hola-ola-more-powerful-translate.html
Google’s translation app will soon turn speech into text on the fly
http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/11/google-translate-automatic-speech-to-text/
Google Updates Translate App With Instant Audio, Text Translation
http://www.eweek.com/cloud/google-updates-translate-app-with-instant-audio-text-translation.html
“Up the boohai”
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/boohai
¿Estos son Reebok o son Nike?
Image credit: http://appointmentsbilanguage.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/bilingual-brain-21.png