Mercury – Olivia Lambert
“FORGET eating healthier, drinking less and exercising more — learning a language should be your New Year’s resolution for 2016. It may not strike you as something that is not really that beneficial to your life, but that’s where you’re wrong. Deakin University’s Dr Ruth Arber and Dr Michiko Weinmann have figured out why everybody should put that resolution at the very top of the list. Dr Arber, School of Education senior lecturer, said only one in five Australians spoke a language other than English, but it’s a skill that can actually come in handy, even if you’re not travelling. “A multitude of research shows that learning a new language offers many rewards,” Dr Arber said. Teaching Languages lecturer, Dr Weinmann, found evidence of how learning a language can stretch your brain.”(more)