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Physical demands of language learning | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : General discussion |  | |
| Lakeseayesno Tetraglot Senior Member Mexico thepolyglotist.com Joined 4333 days ago 280 posts - 488 votes  Speaks: English, Spanish*, Japanese, Italian Studies: Esperanto, French | Message 1 of 14 12 February 2015 at 8:08pm | IP Logged |
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Hey guys. I'm curious about a physical effect I've noticed in my own language-learning experience, and I'd like to know if anybody else has noticed it or it's only the way my body deals with my learning sessions.
I'm currently re-reading Babel No More by Michael Erard, and while thinking that it is very broad in covering what parts of the brain (as well as the learning and communication processes) polyglots and hyperpolyglots use the most, I caught myself thinking that the brain doesn't do this all on its own: if we're physically tired, not eating properly, or stressed, that affects our learning processes as well. At a more general level, this should be obvious, but it still set me thinking a bit about the effects of body on mind and the other way around. More recently I saw this video, which features many hyperpolyglots (several of them members of HTLAL). Around minute 1:55, Canadian polyglot Axel van Hout mentions he eats a lot around his language workouts, and that really rang a bell for me, so I started being more conscious about how my body reacts to my most intensive learning sessions (I'm not counting the down-time mini sessions I do because for the most part, they tend to be between 5 and 10 minutes and it's not enough time for me to "change gears", so to speak). I've noticed two major physical effects of intensive learning sessions: 1. During one hour long, 1-on-1 tutoring session with an Italki tutor, my body temperature invariably goes up a tad bit (in excitement and concentration, I guess) and after the end, it drops like a rock for a few minutes. In winter, I've found myself shivering for about a minute before I warm up again. Keep in mind, I am of the stick-stubbornly-to-target-language school of language learning (sort of like what Benny Lewis does): none of these lessons entail studying another language in my own language, so each of them is exhausting, but I wouldn't have expected for my temperature to change. Also, I've noticed this doesn't happen when I'm in a group conversation in my target language--only when I'm talking face to face with someone. 2. Like Axel, I find that when I eat lots of protein and a decent amount of carbohidrates, I do my most efficient studying. Not only that: last year, when I tried to juggle two difficult languages at the same time, I lost weight (without exercise, and with a normal diet). A comment: I'm about as frail as a piece of iron ore (I've been said to be "one very sturdy human being"). I know I'm healthy right now so what I mentioned to you aren't symptoms of illness, and they always happen in conjunction with my language learning sessions. What I'm curious to know is if any of you have experienced noticeable physical side-effects of intense language learning. By intense, I mean focused, long-duration sessions, not reviewing Memrise while waiting for the bus. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| epictetus Groupie Canada Joined 3881 days ago 54 posts - 87 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish | Message 2 of 14 12 February 2015 at 9:00pm | IP Logged |
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I draw no distinction between different types of mental exertion. Learning a language,
playing chess, writing an exam, and other such activities require calories. I can recall intensive study days during university when I needed an extra meal in the day to stave off any hunger. At the moment, it's the same: I need to eat a second breakfast after my first two hours of one-on-one lessons with my Spanish teacher. And I'm starving when I get home after another 2-3 hours. Edited by epictetus on 12 February 2015 at 9:03pm 2 persons have voted this message useful | |
| guiguixx1 Octoglot Senior Member Belgium guillaumelp.wordpres Joined 4091 days ago 163 posts - 207 votes Speaks: French*, English, Dutch, Portuguese, Esperanto, German, Italian, Spanish Studies: Polish, Mandarin | Message 3 of 14 12 February 2015 at 10:40pm | IP Logged |
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I have also already noticed that, when I have a lot of free time and spend hours in a row
working intensively on some languages, that I keep on eating (especially when eating fruits) and never feel full, because my brain uses so much energy that it burns instantly everything I give it... But it especially happens when I work on something like ancien greec, which sometimes requires more mental energy than my other living languages 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| holly heels Groupie United States Joined 3885 days ago 47 posts - 107 votes Studies: Mandarin | Message 4 of 14 12 February 2015 at 11:14pm | IP Logged |
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For me an intense learning session is a complicated phone conversation or an on-line interaction with a Mandarin speaker who knows no English. Sometimes I have done myself proud and other times I have flopped.
My mental anxiety level increases prior to these sessions. It's somewhat like what I experience prior to a job interview or medical appointment--cold sweats and accelerated heartrate mainly. For some reason it's less threatening to have a face to face conversation in Mandarin. As for my down time sessions, I don't want to be too relaxed, because that doesn't really parallel real life. Everyone from firefighters to restaurant chefs train for worst-case scenarios. Another symptom from just general language learning is absent-mindedness. A couple of months ago for the first time in my life I actually stepped into oncoming traffic pondering the question of whether Vietnamese is more difficult to learn than Mandarin. 2 persons have voted this message useful | |
| geoffw Triglot Senior Member United States Joined 4687 days ago 1134 posts - 1865 votes Speaks: English*, German, Yiddish Studies: Modern Hebrew, French, Dutch, Italian, Russian | Message 5 of 14 13 February 2015 at 3:46am | IP Logged |
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Listening to or reading a language where I am maybe intermediate level seems to be more exhausting than
beginner work or advanced. It's when I'm almost able to get into the flow but have to concentrate extra hard to try to get there that I end up being crazy wiped out afterwards. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| michael erard Newbie United States michaelerard.com Joined 6113 days ago 24 posts - 106 votes Speaks: English* | Message 6 of 14 13 February 2015 at 2:59pm | IP Logged |
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Meeting the nutritional demands of language learning is probably like any sort of learning, but a quick glance at
some Google searches shows that in the US at least, most of the research appears to be about school-based learning and nutrition for children, or for much older adults. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Expugnator Hexaglot Senior Member Brazil Joined 5165 days ago 3335 posts - 4349 votes Speaks: Portuguese*, Norwegian, French, English, Italian, Papiamento Studies: Mandarin, Georgian, Russian | Message 7 of 14 13 February 2015 at 7:27pm | IP Logged |
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Working on material that is way beyond my level is always exhausting. I tend to have sessions no longer than 30 minutes (be they reading, watching, studying from a textbook). A textbook lesson that takes me more than 30 minutes is usually too long or beyond my level (normally both things).
I exercise in the morning and I only feel awake after coming from the gym and getting ready to work. When I don't go to the gym, I tend to feel sleepy after lunch, but it usually gets better next time I switch to another activity. I eat every three hours and when I'm hungry I simply can't concentrate. Lunch is quite healthy but in the evening things get more complicated since what is readily available is usually bad carbs. In a normal day, I don't consider I reach burnout in the end of the day, despite (or maybe thanks to) juggling 8 languages; on the contrary, I can still do some bed reading. What really makes me tired is standing in front of a computer browsing randomly. I need the feeling of learning and accomplishment to keep going. I drink a lot of water. Everytime I feel I need a break I go get some water. I don't drink coffee at all. 2 persons have voted this message useful | |
| Serpent Octoglot Senior Member Russian Federation serpent-849.livejour Joined 6596 days ago 9753 posts - 15779 votes 4 sounds Speaks: Russian*, English, FinnishC1, Latin, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese Studies: Danish, Romanian, Polish, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Slovenian, Catalan, Czech, Galician, Dutch, Swedish | Message 8 of 14 13 February 2015 at 8:12pm | IP Logged |
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I do drink coffee but far less than most Western people do. But if there was a significant benefit of drinking tea, the British would be far better at languages :D
1 person has voted this message useful |
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