Learning new languages is HARD - and there's a reason

Have you ever tried to learn a new language? I don't mean stock holiday phrases like "Comment allez vous?", but a real and concerted attempt to gain level of knowledge that enables conversation. It's not easy is it? For most of us it almost seems to physically hurt the brain. So what's going on?

FMRI imaging has shown that switching from one language to another helps exercise parts of the brain attributed to the more high-level and exhausting intellectual tasks, which leads to sustained improvements in cognitive performance. Bilingualism it appears, not only makes you smarter, but protects your brain from decay. Although lifelong bilingualism appears to provide the most protection from neurodegeneration, any efforts to another language are likely to benefit the brain. So sign up for that Spanish course now - endure and reap!

I guess this makes sense. You might think of the brain as a muscle. If you exercise the same way for too long, you reap less and less benefit. But if you switch your regime, the benefits return and are augmented. Also, like learning maths, a new language forces you to look at the world in different way. The ability to switch perspective would intuitively seem to make a person smarter. We all have a subconscious set of mental structures that filter our beliefs and experiences. The more disruption we experience to this system, the more likely it is that we'll increase our ability to recognize and combine new concepts.

Also, in an UPDATE to this post, psychology research shows that children who are brought up bilingual can multitask more easily (but build vocabulary more slowly - which makes sense). This ability to switch attention and focus is even more important in today's world where we're bombarded by ever-increasing amounts of information.