Learning new languages is pretty amazing. I was lucky enough to learn three at a young age, and some people learn pieces of second or third ones at school. Obviously the pluses are numerous… the brain benefits from an expanding perception of different words and phrases, and the world is more open to someone who can understand different languages. It’s so much more than just being able to communicate with additional people… it’s also being able to read more literature, to watch more films, to comprehend more nuances in daily life.

And it’s not only left- or right-brain action, either. Both sides develop the abilities together, and also communicate to make complex ideas possible.
“No matter how lateralized the brain can get, though, the two sides still work together,” said Carl Zimmer, science writer, in a Discover magazine article. “The pop psychology notion of a left brain and a right brain doesn’t capture their intimate working relationship. The left hemisphere specializes in picking out the sounds that form words and working out the syntax of the phrase, for example, but it does not have a monopoly on language processing. The right hemisphere is more sensitive to the emotional features of language, tuning-in to the slow rhythms of speech that carry intonation and stress.”

In essence, by learning new languages you’re actually extrapolating with portions of both sides of your brain!

And by ‘soul’, Charlemagne meant something more along the lines of a second ‘personality,’ ‘way of being’ or ‘self’. And it’s true – one does have a personality for each language one’s able to speak.

So, now that we’ve established the benefits of learning languages, what is the best way to approach the situation???

Of course, the first step is to decide which new language you’ll be learning.
Just a word of advice: unless you’re already a polyglot (and maybe not even then) it’s not generally a good idea to do more than one at a time. You want your brain to definitely know the limits of one language and to not get it mixed up with other words or phrases that you learned at the same time from another. Start slow and know that your progress may begin with difficulty, but with persistence you’ll begin to notice the benefits.

Secondly, enroll in some free online language helpers.
Memrise.com is a really good one, as well as Duolingo.com. Nowadays there’s no need to pay for some expensive tape when so many terabytes of knowledge are at everyone’s fingertips!

Third, begin to watch foreign movies with subtitles. Listen to what people are saying and read the subtitles as you watch. The more experience hearing your target language in action the better! Your brain makes thousands of neural connections on a daily basis, and allowing it access to more content in your new language is only helpful to your polyglot quest!

Fourth, find some people that speak your language fluently. They might be in your community, or even online in a group. Befriend some of them and inform them that you’re learning one of the languages they know. Most people are happy to encourage others and would be happy to have a few conversations with you, as well as give you pointers on where to further expand your fluency.

Finally, make sure you’re persistent! I cannot repeat this enough, because learning a new language has incredible benefits but it also takes a lot of work!!! The thing is, though, even if you were only a monoglot before, you can still become fluent in another language within a year with the right effort. Of course, when you choose your language at step one it’s important that it’s truly one you want to know. Knowledge is a wonderful thing, and the brain craves to learn. Feed it information that it enjoys, and the chore of learning becomes more of a joyful and exhilarating task.

So, carpe diem (seize the day) and expand your world one extra language at a time! Our globe is a huge place; why limit yourself only to the society of millions that speak your native language?? There is so much media, information, historical beauty, and exploration that can only be done when you comprehend other languages!
Begin today?

Thanks for reading!

I’m a Wellness Scientist and healer with over 15 years’ experience.
For over 6 years I’ve been experimenting and healing in a zone where science and metaphysics collide!
The unique (and cutting-edge) healing solutions I’ve developed blend proven techniques with a strong scientific influence.
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Yours in Calmness,
Reverend Michelle