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March 29th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda THURSDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) — For adults, learning a new
language is like learning how to play a musical instrument — over time,
the brain “consolidates” the new information it has learned, researchers
have found.
The new study builds on earlier findings published last year that
revealed that foreign-language immersion programs are more effective than
typical classroom training in teaching adults a second language. This type
of exposure works by helping adult foreign-language students achieve the
same brain patterns as native speakers.
“In the last few years, research has begun to suggest that adults
learning a foreign language can come to rely on the same brain mechanisms
as native speakers of a language, and that this might be true even for
those parts of a foreign language that are particularly difficult to
learn, such as its grammar,” Michael Ullman, a professor of neuroscience
at Georgetown University Medical Center and senior investigator of the
studies, explained in a center news release. “We confirmed this in our
studies.”
To identify and compare brain patterns following different types of
exposure to a foreign language, the researchers first created a language
consisting of only 13 words. English-speaking adults were taught the
made-up language using either a classroom technique with a lot of
grammatical explanation or an immersion method that relied on
examples.
These initial findings, published in the August 2011 online edition of
the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, revealed that both teaching
methods helped the adults achieve proficiency in the new language. The two
techniques, however, triggered different brain mechanisms.
“Only the immersion training led to full native-like brain processing
of grammar,” noted Ullman. “So if you learn a language you can come to use
native language brain processes, but you may need immersion rather than
classroom exposure.”
In the new study, published online March 28 in PLoS ONE, the
researchers examined if adults could remain proficient in a second
language — even if they are not regularly exposed to it. After learning
the made-up language, the original study participants were surprised with
a follow-up test an average of five months later.
“To our surprise, the participants actually became more native-like in
their brain processing of grammar,” Ullman said. “And this was true for
both the classroom and immersion training groups, though it was still the
case that only the immersion group showed full native-like
processing.”
The study authors suggested that learning a new language is like
learning to ride a bike or play an instrument. Over time, the memories are
solidified in the brain, they explained.
“Native-language brain mechanisms are clearly well suited to language,
so attaining their use is a critical achievement for foreign-language
learners,” concluded Ullman. “We suspect that this should lead to improved
retention of the language as well as higher proficiency over time.”
More information
Learn more about second-language learning from the University of
Washington.
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