Does Teaching Italian Build Better Brains?
Will teaching Italian to toddlers make them more intelligent? Scientists have been studying the brains of today’s youngest language learners, and their research presents some intriguing results. Recent studies from the field of educational neuroscience, involving functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and other state-of-the-art technology, are changing how we think about the bilingual brain. The neurological effects of teaching kids Italian, it seems, will help keep their minds as healthy and fresh as the best Tuscan cuisine - for years and years to come.
Teaching Italian increases "grey matter" in young bilingual brains
Nature reported a groundbreaking study in 2004 showing that bilingual children develop increased density of “grey matter” in their brains, compared to children who speak only one language. Though increased grey matter has been linked to higher intelligence, the researchers fell short of concluding that teaching Italian to kids automatically boosts their IQ. However, research is ongoing, and to date the results appear to be very encouraging for would-be bilinguals.
The Nature study also showed that grey matter build-up was proportionally greater for “early” bilinguals who acquired their second language at a very young age. This has been interpreted as further evidence that sooner is better when it comes to teaching Italian or another foreign language to kids.
Neuroscientist Andrea Mechelli, PhD, who led the study, explained her findings to BBC News: “It means that older learners won’t be as fluent as people who learned earlier in life.” Many other experts and educators agree with Dr. Mechelli. Teaching Italian to children while they’re still young will give them better chances of attaining proficiency and a native accent.
But, what exactly is grey matter? (Other than a side effect of teaching Italian.)
Brain tissue consists of grey matter and white matter. Grey matter is responsible for processing information, including speech, memory, and sensory perception like hearing and seeing, according to the Lundbeck Institute’s “Brain Atlas.” White matter, on the other hand, is generally associated with transmitting and integrating information.
So, if teaching Italian to kids as a second language gives them more grey matter, that means they’re smarter? The answer, it seems, is... maybe so.
Richard Haier, PhD, is a leading researcher in the field of intelligence, and a professor in the pediatric neurology division of the University of California, Irvine. His research, reported by UCI in July 2004, found that increased volume of grey matter does correlate to higher general intelligence. However, this relationship only holds true in specific, targeted regions of the brain. The Nature study on bilinguals found increased grey matter in their parietal region, which is indeed one of the areas Dr. Haier associates with increased intelligence in adults.
“There is a constant cascade of information being processed in the entire brain, but intelligence seems related to an efficient use of relatively few structures, where the more grey matter the better,” Haier declared in a university press release. “In addition, these structures that are important for intelligence are also implicated in memory, attention and language.”
It turns out, teaching Italian is not the only way to increase grey matter. NeuroImage announced in 2002 that professional musicians also exhibit increased density of grey matter. Moreover, those who began their musical training earlier in life showed a more pronounced effect, the study said, suggesting that music and linguistics share an age-based “window of opportunity” of optimal skill development.
Best method of teaching Italian to kids
The research about the links between brain structure and bilingualism is guaranteed to continue for years to come, as scientists learn more about the rich mysteries of neuroscience. In the meantime, most parents will probably choose to concern themselves with more practical and pragmatic matters. Namely, the functional side of teaching Italian to kids: where and how to begin.
For some children, the discovery of a second language begins at home, with a native-speaking parent or au pair. Many experts swear by language immersion programs, while some toddlers succeed with private Italian tutors and many more with at-home multimedia programs.
Parents will need to use a little grey matter of their own when determining what program works best for teaching Italian for their family. Fortunately, common sense and hard science both suggest that the effort will be well worth it in the end.
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