How Learning a New Language Improves Tolerance

There are many <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/the-benefits-of-bilingualism.html" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">benefits</a> to knowing more than one language. For example, it has been shown that <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bilingualism-language-and-cognition/article/bilingualism-and-cognition/CCC95B8238C4CDDD92B3ABFFCD0CF2AE#" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">aging adults</a> who speak more than one language have less likelihood of developing dementia. Additionally, the bilingual <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3322418/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">brain</a> becomes better at filtering out distractions, and learning multiple languages improves <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292250731_Multilingualism_and_Creativity" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">creativity</a>. Evidence also shows that <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2013.12034.x/abstract" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">learning subsequent languages</a> is easier than learning the first foreign language. Unfortunately, not all American universities consider <a href="https://www.mla.org/About-Us/Governance/Executive-Council/Executive-Council-Actions/2011/Learning-Another-Language-Goals-and-Challenges" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">learning foreign languages</a> a worthwhile investment. Why is foreign language study important at the university level? As an <a href="http://languages.usf.edu/people/athompson/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">applied linguist</a>, I study how learning multiple languages can have cognitive and emotional benefits. One of these benefits that’s not obvious is that language learning improves tolerance. <a href="https://medium.com/better-humans/how-learning-a-new-language-improves-tolerance-d528a7863ddc">Website</a>