THE CONNECTION BETWEEN MENTAL WELLBEING AND LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE

Language affects every aspect of our daily lives: it impacts communication, relationship building, career…

It also helps to shape personality, build confidence, and the learning of a language has a positive influence on mental wellbeing, as lifelong learners are likely to have a better outlook on life, cope better with stressful situations, and have a stronger ability to get the most out of life.

The Link Between Language Learning and Mental Wellbeing

All through life, language learning can have a positive impact on memory, communication skills, concentration and multitask capabilities, elements which are a fundamental part of mental wellbeing:

• According to the World Economic Forum¹, scientific studies have proven that learning a new language can help individuals to become better learners and thinkers, and more efficient multitaskers. The brains of bilingual people work differently to single language speakers, and these differences offer various mental benefits such as stronger memory and communication skills, better understanding, and the ability to view things from multiple perspectives.

• A study by the Edinburgh's School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences² shows that young adults proficient in two languages performed better on attention tests and had better concentration than those who spoke only one language. They were also able to ignore distractions to stay focused, switched attention willfully from one thing to another and holding information in mind.

• By learning a second language³, the brain is used to handling multiple tasks at the same time and generally works better, faster and more efficiently than single language speakers. Through an active mind, the mental state is optimized.

Ultimately, all of this means that if we are more confident, connecting easier with circumstances, situations, and people, and being able to make better decisions, then we are in better mental health:

How multi-language skills help in decision making:

Mental wellbeing plays an integral part in decision-making, as individuals with mental health disorders tend to have a skewed view of things. This affects their decision-making ability and creates challenges when trying to make the right decisions - whether it’s combatting anxiety, depression, or another mental health disorder.

The decision-making process is easier for those who speak more than one language because their brain operates on a higher level and is able to handle decisions easier.

How multi-language skills boost brainpower:

Languages are a part of the cultural fiber that forms our very identities. Those who speak more than one language use different thought processes and utilize different aspects of their personality when formulating their stories or replies. In other words, we use our brains in a different way when we use various languages.

Learning a new language involves a whole new intricate system of rules and structures. The brain has to deal with complexity as it attempts to make sense of and absorb new patterns of information. As the brain is strengthened through the exercises of learning a new language, problem-solving and cognitive thinking are improved.

Brainpower and mental health are directly linked. Just like your body, your mind also needs to be fed, and brainpower is mental food. By exercising the brain through the process of language learning, mental wellbeing is simultaneously improving.

How multi-language skills create a deeper connection to other cultures and help to reduce biases

Learning a new language opens one’s eyes to a whole new culture. As human beings, we are notorious for being partial in our day to day decision-making. While we all like to think that we function from a place of unbiased logic and discernment, that is not always the case. We are biased to our own cultures and way of doing things.

Language is one of the most profound connections we have to another culture and bilingualism reduces our decision biases⁴: reduced biases mean that we are likely to feel stronger empathy towards others, feel more contentment toward decisions, and have an overall better outlook on situations with a stronger mental presence.

Learning a new language is not only beneficial on an academic level, but can also significantly improve mental wellbeing

Learning a second or third language is one of the most effective and practical ways to increase intelligence, keep the mind sharp, and buffer the brain against ageing

A stronger brain processes information more efficiently and handles challenges, multitasking, focus and emotional decisions better too

The more languages we speak, the more people and cultures we can connect with while we demonstrate stronger empathy and decision making and reduced cultural bias

¹ The benefits of speaking more than one language. Word Economic Forum (in collaboration with Education First). https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/04/the-benefits-of-speaking-more-than-one-language/

² Does Bilingualism Influence Cognitive Aging?. Dr. Thomas Bak. Edinburgh's School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4320748/

³ How learning a new language helps brain development?. Luz Palmero. Whitby School. https://www.whitbyschool.org/passionforlearning/learning-a-new-language-helps-brain-development

⁴ The Foreign-Language Effect: Thinking in a Foreign Tongue Reduces Decision Biases. Sayuri Hayakawa. Psychological Science. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/224769622_The_Foreign-Language_Effect_Thinking_in_a_Foreign_Tongue_Reduces_Decision_Biases