We’re not brain experts around here and won’t pretend to be. However, there have been researches done on the impact of engaging both left and right sides of the brain for language learning. For the most part, their conclusions have been similar: doing so aids language acquisition in a positive way.
Learning words and phrases by repeating it to yourself is a good example of left brain use. While it is a valid way of learning, wouldn’t adding some right brain stimulation, along with the words, add to your understanding?
Some people advocate some creative stimulation while memorizing words to help with the process. This includes things like playing non-distracting music in the background, physical activity such as acting out the words and using colorful images. Doing so is supposed to keep both sides of the brain engaged during your language study sessions, allowing for a more complete understanding of the modules in your language learning program.
How? Because while your left brain works to commit words and phrases to your memory, the right side aids it by firing up contextual connections that will further cement retention. Very few languages lend themselves well to rote learning, after all – activating the right brain helps you transcend that without much extra effort.
Some of the better language software out there do even better, incorporating both left and right brain stimulation within their lessons. This way, you don’t need to do any additional work on your end – the software does all the work all on its own.
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