Free Spanish Lesson #33 Effects of language learning on the brain.

This week’s newsletter tema is fascinating to me and I understand that around el mundo, there is a fascination with learning y el cerebro. He hecho some research and found articles about how language learning affects el cerebro of both niños y adultos.

The following quotes are sacados de a book called, “How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School” by John D. Bransford, Ann L. Brown, and Rodney R. Cocking.

Aquí hay some conclusions that were made en el libro that I found interesting:

• Learning changes the physical structure del cerebro. These structural changes alter the functional organization del cerebro; en otras palabras, learning organizes and reorganizes el cerebro. New synapses are added that would never have existed without learning, and the wiring diagram del cerebro continúa to be reorganized throughout one’s life.

  Detailed knowledge de procesos del cerebro that underlie language has emerged in recent years. Por ejemplo, there appear to be separate areas del cerebro that specialize in subtasks such as hearing palabras (spoken language of others), seeing words (reading), speaking words (speech), and generating words (thinking with language). …classes de palabras, pictures, and other categorías de información that involve complex cognitive processing on a repeated basis activate el cerebro.

  Activation sets into motion the events that are encoded as part of long-term memory.

• One of the simplest reglas is that practice increases learning.

Before we go on with the rest of the research, here are a few of my own personal tips and teorías about language learning based on experiencia and observación over the past nine years:

• Don’t try to cram. Language learning is menos eficaz in a once-a-week cram session. Instead, study 20-30 minutes al día, three to five days per week. To put a palabra into your long-term memoria, it should be used and reworked in meaningful ways about 50 veces. That’s why our courses repeat the same palabras in so many different activities and lessons.

  Research shows that niños can learn new languages faster than adultos. I agree with this statement in some areas like pronunciation. That is why our company has created a complete CD that focuses on pronunciation – so adultos can tackle it and learn it well. However, it is my belief that adultos can learn some aspects of a foreign language quicker and easier than niños – por ejemplo sentence building.

  [custom_script adID=151]

  This is why our course focuses on this method of learning and has been tan eficaz. With our course, adults effectively learn to build sentences in Spanis h from the first lesson.

• Why else do niños seem to learn faster? …Because they learn by experiencing, by seeing and doing. Most adult language and academic learning courses teach estudiantes by having them memorize boring lists of vocabulario. Nuestros cursos teach using visual images, audio, typing and verbal repetition that help adults “experience” Spanish.

Vocabulario de la semana – Vocabulary of the Week

Correction: from 2 weeks ago (“hánnanos” should be “hágannos”)

tema – topic (theme)

el mundo – the world

y el cerebro – and the brain

he hecho – I have done

niños – children

y – and

adultos – adults

sacados de – taken from

se puede encontrar en – it can be found at

aquí hay – here are

en el libro – in the book

del cerebro – of the brain

en otras palabras – in other words

continúa – continues

de procesos del cerebro – of brain processes

por ejemplo – for example

areas del cerebro – brain areas (areas is spelled the same in each language)

palabras – words

de – of/fr om/about

categorías de información – categories of information

reglas – rules

teorías – theories

experiencia – experience

observación – observation

menos eficaz – less effective

al día – a day

memoria – memory

veces – times

tan eficaz – so effective

estudiantes – students

nuestros cursos – our courses

que recibimos – that we receive

beneficios – benefits

educación básica – basic education

con éxito – with success (successfully)

porción verbal – verbal portion

demostró – demonstrated

matemáticas – math

en los casos de niños – in the cases of children

destreza – skill

[custom_script adID=97]

Written by David S. Clark – President of Visual Link Spanish who says…

Copyright © 1999-2010 US Institute of Languages All rights reserved.

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.