News & Events
News & Events
News & Events

InnoBlog: 5 reasons to learn a foreign language during your master’s!

Learning a new language may be the last thing on our minds as we juggle the many responsibilities of being an engineering student. However, I have found that knowing a foreign language has proven to be very beneficial in terms of information retention (which helps a lot for exams) as well as in our professional lives.

At EIT InnoEnergy Master School, we are also immersed in different cultures while studying which only makes it that much more important for me. In my case, I decided to take the opportunity to learn Portuguese during my first year of the Master’s in Energy Storage at IST in Lisbon. This is something I would have never imagined doing and yet it is filling me with joy! So, here are five benefits of learning a foreign language during your studies. I hope this triggers you to explore a new language as your master’s with EIT InnoEnergy.

Boosts brain function

Studying a foreign language is a great way to exercise the brain muscles and reduce cognitive failure. Learning an additional language have been shown to stimulate the brain as the brain functions to keep track of all the new information and retain it. Subsequently, it has been shown to increase the white and grey matter of the brain which is a sign of a healthy brain (thus reducing risks of developing cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Dementia). In addition, it improves our focus and attention span which can help us memorise and retain information more effectively [1].