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Learning a new language alters brain development | :)

Łukasz Gos-Furmankiewicz — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 16:55:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Learning a new language alters brain development
Poster: Łukasz Gos-Furmankiewicz
Post title: :)

[quote]Christine Andersen wrote:

I never could ride a bike, and passed down no less than three to my younger siblings when I had given up...[/quote]

Ouch. :) Well, as long as you could at least tie your shoelaces without difficulty, you still did better than I!

[quote]There was a myth or theory that if left-handed children were forced to write with their right hands, they would stutter, and that there are more left-handers among linguists than among the general population (however you define either).[/quote]

I was a left-hander forced to switch at around six or seven years of age. Perhaps I wasn't conclusively left-handed or they would've left me alone, but I certainly wrote with my left. To this day I'm startled sometimes. I can no longer wield the pen with my left hand, but if it's a sword, then I basically don't care. I sometimes type with my left rather than my right when my other hand is busy. The worst thing ever is when I start thinking consciously, which makes me stop and think which hand to use. ;)

Learning a new language alters brain development | Intriguing

Christine Andersen — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 13:13:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Learning a new language alters brain development
Poster: Christine Andersen
Post title: Intriguing

Although I did not learn anything like so many languages in my early childhood as Łukasz, I was surrounded by them, and not taught any until six or seven (as opposed to picking up English as my native language).

I never could ride a bike, and passed down no less than three to my younger siblings when I had given up... I was hopeless at sports, and although I can write well with my left hand and passably with the right, my coordination is way too poor for playing a musical instrument, and even when I type very slowly, I still make typos.

I was glad when I finally found something I WAS good at :-)

What strikes me is that these studies usually only involve comparatively small samples of individuals. With many of them carried out in the US or the UK, where societies as a whole are comparatively monolingual, although with notable exceptions, I don't think the results prove very much, fascinating as they are.

There was a myth or theory that if left-handed children were forced to write with their right hands, they would stutter, and that there are more left-handers among linguists than among the general population (however you define either).

A lot more study is definitely needed on language learning and brain development to make sense of the emerging patterns.

Learning a new language alters brain development | Cada persona es un mundo

Alex Lago — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 12:34:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Learning a new language alters brain development
Poster: Alex Lago
Post title: Cada persona es un mundo

Every one is different or as we say in Spanish "Cada persona es un mundo"

Learning a new language alters brain development | :)

Angie Garbarino — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 11:45:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Learning a new language alters brain development
Poster: Angie Garbarino
Post title: :)

[quote]George Hopkins wrote:

As I have often said to my wife, "I can't be good at Everything!".[/quote]

All right!

Learning a new language alters brain development | Middling

George Hopkins — Mon, 02 Sep 2013 09:17:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Learning a new language alters brain development
Poster: George Hopkins
Post title: Middling

As I have often said to my wife, "I can't be good at Everything!".

Learning a new language alters brain development | I also think it depends on the person

tannergerda — Sun, 01 Sep 2013 17:24:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Learning a new language alters brain development
Poster: tannergerda
Post title: I also think it depends on the person

I was always good at learning grammar and foreign languages. My mother tongue is German. I learned English in school and was tutored by my mother. She was fluent in German, English, French, Russian, Italianand hebrew. She was also good at swimming and sports.
I am not good at dancing, or singing. I like to work out in a gym, however.

Learning a new language alters brain development | beg to disagree

Liviu-Lee Roth — Sun, 01 Sep 2013 01:43:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Learning a new language alters brain development
Poster: Liviu-Lee Roth
Post title: beg to disagree

[quote]LilianBNekipelo wrote:

Maybe the people who have no interest in sports, have more interest in languages, or the arts. [/quote]

I spoke fluently three languages by the age of 12, practiced sport, was swimming champion for my country, enjoy going to the Philadelphia philharmonic, love ballet, and at 61 I still train, compete and win triathlons (swimming, biking and running).

Therefore I completely disagree with your statement. It is more a matter of willpower than a genetic mark.

Lee

Learning a new language alters brain development | I think it is oversimplified -- it depends on the person.

LilianNekipelov — Sat, 31 Aug 2013 20:12:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Learning a new language alters brain development
Poster: LilianNekipelov
Post title: I think it is oversimplified -- it depends on the person.

I spoke spoke four languages well before twelve, and I think I could do a lot of physical things as well, if I had interest in them,. I even did some ballet classes and I love dancing . Bikes -- I hate riding in a car traffic in the dust, and honestly, I don't really like biking, but I don't think it related to language learning in any way. Maybe the people who have no interest in sports, have more interest in languages, or the arts.

Learning a new language alters brain development | ...

Triston Goodwin — Sat, 31 Aug 2013 19:45:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Learning a new language alters brain development
Poster: Triston Goodwin
Post title: ...

I picked up German and English at the same time in my infancy (Spanish came many years later). I have always been well coordinated, but I believe that my father's influence on me to start practicing martial arts as a small child had more effect than anything else.

I used to skate and snowboard, I did gymnastics, and I studied tae kwon do, aikido, tai chi and fencing (epeé, but I really prefered saber). I was pretty good at all of them except for fencing (too many silly rules).

Learning a new language alters brain development | I can skate

Marijke Singer — Sat, 31 Aug 2013 18:59:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Learning a new language alters brain development
Poster: Marijke Singer
Post title: I can skate

I learnt 3 languages from the age of 3: English, Spanish and Dutch. I can also skate and ride a bike. Juggling may be a problem.

Learning a new language alters brain development | The funny thing

Łukasz Gos-Furmankiewicz — Sat, 31 Aug 2013 18:11:00 +0000

Forum: Translation news
Topic: Learning a new language alters brain development
Poster: Łukasz Gos-Furmankiewicz
Post title: The funny thing

The funny thing is that my co-ordination is so abysmal I wasn't able to skate or ride the bike as a kid, even having learnt English since about six or seven years of age, German since ten, French and Latin since fifteen and then Greek since sixteen or seventeen. In fact, I can't dance or anything like that, (forget sleight of hand), all such activities being prevented from much success by some kind of inexplicable mental block more so than any general lack of physical fitness.