Rekindling Language Learning as an Adult is Good for You. Here is why.

Learning a foreign language is generally a set part of school education in Europe and North America. Almost 100% of EU students start learning a foreign language in middle school, while in the US students are required to begin their language learning at age 6. Even the UK has been making the extra effort lately to ensure that foreign languages make a comeback in schools.

Many times, however, language knowledge gets left behind in our high-school days as we progress towards busy careers and hectic adult lives. By the time you come around to endeavoring to re-learn a language, you may be tempted to quit before you even begin. Don’t call it quits just yet, though, re-learning a language as an adult has a lot more pros than cons. Take note of a few below:

Keeps your brain young.

Until the day comes in which humanity discovers a pill to prevent our brains from ageing, language study may be one of the secrets to the fountain of youth. Researchers say that being bilingual can put off dementia by several years, and can even give you a bigger, younger, healthier brain. The best news is that it doesn’t matter at what age you embark on your language learning journey. Whether you’re 7 or 70, the health benefits for your brain are the same!

Exercise for your brain.

It’s no secret that most things come a lot easier to children. This is why it’s ideal to begin learning a foreign language by the time you’re 6, because you quite simply won’t overthink it. But overthinking it as an adult can have its benefits too: namely, your brain is forced to work a lot harder to retain information. Sure, it may seem like more of a pain, but at the same time you’re putting your brain through some intense mental gymnastics that you wouldn’t have done as a child. The result: your brain actually becomes more fit!

Improves your cognitive abilities.

As we get older, our memories and mental abilities tend to diminish somewhat and it becomes even more important to compensate by nurturing our brains. Sure, you could simply invest in online brain games to sharpen your abilities, but experts say that language learning can be even more beneficial. Foreign language study pushes the limits of your memory, hones reasoning skills, and refines your ability for sound discrimination. So trade your brain games in for some online language games, and you will be set to go!

The well-being rewards behind language learning are just a few of the reasons why you should start rekindling your childhood language skills. Learning a language as an adult will also give you confidence, make you feel fulfilled, and is an excellent excuse for finally taking that trip to France you’ve been raring to do but have been putting off for far too long. Before you hit the books, test your skills with a free online placement test so you can pick up where you left off. Then be sure to sign up for some top-tier online language classes and say Hola! Bonjour! or Ciao! to a happier, healthier brain!