Can Programming Help You Learn Foreign Languages?
There is an ongoing debate about what is actually going on in the mind of a programmer. Researchers and scientists seem to be divided into two relatively similar groups:
- Programmers are more inclined to be stronger with logical and mathematical skills, particularly in regards to understanding algorithms.
- Programmers are more inclined to associate programming languages with other verbal languages of the world.
Since programming is a relatively young (but deep) concept for humans, there is still much to be learned about our brains on code. However, more and more research is beginning to show that comprehending programming languages use the same parts of the brain as verbal language processing.
Boring but important science facts incoming:
The left cerebral hemisphere contains two brain sections named Wernicke’s area, responsible for speech comprehension, and Broca’s area, responsible for speech production. In a study utilizing an fMRI scanner, scientists found Brodmann areas encapsulating Wernicke’s and Broca’s area were highly engaged when studying code snippets.
Along with language processing, another area associated with working memory was engaged as well. It could be argued that this would be a more “logical” area of the brain, but it appears that these two areas are codependent while you are engaged in language processing.
The parts of the brain associated with working memory and logical deduction initially allow comprehension of either an algorithm, or the structure of a sentence. The other linguistic area will associate what a sound or sentence is with something that is already known.
Having said that, there are thousands of processes going on in the brain at all times, and we are also relatively young in our understanding of the human brain. But ask any programmer about how they learned to code, and almost if not all of them will tell you it takes time and patience.
Learning a new verbal language is no different. It may takes different amounts of time for each person, but the most efficient way to learn something new is to immerse yourself in it. Airline tickets are extremely cheap right now, and while it is not the best time to travel now, you can plan future trips. I am going to Belize in October for about $500 round trip! From where I live that would be around $1,100 in non-pandemic times.
Finally, if you would like to really learn something new and comprehend it, remember to be consistent.
Watch tv shows, listen to music, talk to people, do everything you would in your native language except do it in the language you want to learn. It is weird at first and it is guaranteed to feel uncomfortable, but that is part of the learning process.
