Can Alcohol Make You Better at Languages?
Alcohol is one of those things that developed in most human societies. Almost every culture around the world has some kind of alcohol made from all sorts of things. In today’s world, it’s no different.
Alcoholic drinks are deeply embedded in modern culture, consumed by both young and old people. But getting drunk isn’t something most people approve of, and rightly so.
It is harmful to you in more than one way and it should be avoided. But what about having a glass or two? Just enough to loosen you up a bit, and get you talking.
Overcoming the previous difficulties
Studies were done by the King’s College of London, Liverpool University, and Maastricht University about the effect of low alcohol consumption on foreign language skills.
- At the University of Maastricht, 50 German students took part in the test regarding small amounts of alcohol and testing their knowledge of Dutch in speaking, writing, and reading.
- They were separated into two groups, the ones that drink a little booze and the ones that didn’t. The amount was decided by the weight of the participant, and after they drank it, they talked to a native Dutch person for some time.
- Two other native Dutch people evaluated the recorded conversation without knowing if the German student had a drink or two. The participants themselves also evaluated their own capabilities.
- The results of the study are interesting. One might think that drinking a bit of alcohol might hinder your ability to speak a foreign language, but for the most part, that came out not to be the case.
The group that had a drink or two managed to overcome their local dialect and speak more freely. They somehow became, for the time being, better at speaking Dutch. Doctor Jessica Werthmann from the University of Maastricht added that the causes of this phenomenon aren’t clear at the moment and that further research is needed.
Something to have in mind
The easiest thing to forget about this study is that is based on small alcohol consumption, not exceeding amounts of it. This doesn’t encourage drinking in any way, only pointing out the interesting thing about how a glass or two helps you be better at speaking a foreign language.
Most people would think that even the smallest amount of alcohol would be bad for your speaking skills, but as usual, science doesn’t fail to amaze us.
