If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven’t you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language? According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter. This is the area of the brain which processes information, It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles.

Scans (扫描) showed that grey matter density (密度) in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language.

“Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language,” said the scientists. It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn.

Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales, has researched the link between bilingualism and maths skills. “Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible,” he said, “You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas.”

The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between the ages of two and thirty-four. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested, The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better, “Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world, ”explained the scientists.

Habiba keeps a record of new words and expressions in English. He usually writes them in a notebook. Then, one day, she asks her teacher about them. “Mrs Thomas, these expressions are new to me — She is blue today. What’s the matter? You are yellow. A little white lie. After looking at the notebook, Mrs Thomas says, “In everyday English, Habiba, blue sometimes means sad. Yellow means afraid. A person with a green thumb grows plants successfully and a white lie is not a bad lie.” “I don’t understand. Please give me an example.” “For example, I offer you some cake. The truth is, you don’t like my cake. You don’t say that. Instead, you say, ‘No, thanks. I’m not hungry.’ That’s a white lie.” “I see. Thanks for the explanation.”

Sending an emoji to your doctor probably isn’t something most patients think about when they’re feeling sick. However, researchers say these symbols can actually help improve communication between patients and medical staff.

Senior author Shuhan He, MD, from Massachusetts General Hospital believes the use of emojis is a great opportunity to take communication to another level. “Emojis could be particularly important in treating children with still-developing language skills, people with disabilities that affect their ability to communicate, and the many patients who speak a different language,” Dr. He says.

Researchers say that although there are around 3,500 emojis in all, there are only about 45 which have a connection to medicine. The first ones appeared in 2015, with a needle and pill. In 2017, Apple added new emojis to represent people with disabilities. Two years later, a stethoscope (听珍器), bones, teeth, and microbe emojis popped into computers and smart phones everywhere. Dr. He helped to create anatomical (解剖学的) heart and lung emojis which were introduced in 2020. He is now working to create even more medical-related emojis.

The study authors add that, in a medical emergency, time is particularly vital. Using an emoji could help doctors know what’s wrong in a jiffy. The growth of telemedicine is providing a golden opportunity for emojis to find a purpose in the health care industry. Dr. He believes communication through emojis can help patients express things like the intensity of pain or even mood changes when words fail them.

“It’s clear that emojis have become part of the global, mainstream conversation, and that medical societies need to take them seriously,” Dr. He concludes. “They should now reach agreement on the medical accuracy of these emojis, and then work to get them approved through the global standard-setting body.”