Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Learn another language!

Since I am in the 3rd third of my life, I need to take care that my brain doesn't get lazy!

So I am learning another language. Nothing spectacular - it brings my incredible total up to four (or 5 if you count my rudiments of French). English, German, Italian, Dutch, French... I'm impressing myself to death!!

Yes now I am taking on Dutch. It is an odd but "cute" language - not at all  as beautiful as French. It sounds pretty guttural.

There are wonderful websites for free where you can learn all sorts of languages. I am using Duolingo.
https://www.duolingo.com


study from the University of Chicago found that when people speak in a language other than their native tongue, it helps eliminate their tendency toward so-called loss aversion—that is, getting too caught up in the “here and now” to make choices that could profit us further down the road.
Bilinguals are more confident with their choices after thinking it over in the second language and seeing whether their initial conclusions still stand up. This means that if you learn a second language, this might well improve your ability to make wiser financial choices, for example.

Who would’ve thought?

Additionally, a study conducted  by Researchers from University College London has shown that learning other languages altered grey matter – the area of the brain which processes information – in the same way exercise builds muscles.

Hey! Now we are getting somewhere. Says the ongoing Senior Citizen.


We live in an increasingly globalized world and companies are constantly expanding overseas and dealing with clients from all over the world. Between two candidates with the exact same skill set and experience, the person who is bilingual is arguably much more likely to get the job.
The Economist also points outs that while, according to one optimistic estimate, half the world’s people might speak English by 2050, “that still leaves billions who will not, and billions of others who remain happier (and more willing to spend money) in their own language,” the article concludes. Plus, studies show that knowledge of a foreign language brings economic benefits. Even a 2% annual “salary premium” will result, in some cases, in 6-digits returns upon retirement. Not a bad deal.

So, what about you? A few minutes a day (every day) is all it takes. Only slightly longer than it takes to do your evening hygiene routine.

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