Stop making sense: focus on sounds to help learn a language, study suggests
Research shows that the best linguists process unfamiliar foreign speech sounds more like non-speech sounds If you want to get really good at French, Arabic…
The Guardian reports: Research shows that the best linguists process unfamiliar foreign speech sounds more like non-speech sounds If you want to get really good at French, Arabic or Hungarian, don’t start with rote learning vocabulary and grammar, focus on how they sound instead, research suggests.
A new study of how humans learn modern languages has found that the brains of the most talented linguists hear foreign terms as random noise, not words.
This science story centres on France. Names and organisations mentioned in the coverage include French, Arabic and Hungarian.
Why it matters
Scientific work like this adds to what we know and can inform future research, policy and technology.
Key details
- Location
- France · Europe
- Reported by
- The Guardian
- First reported
- Key names
- French, Arabic, Hungarian
- Section
- Science
Sources
This is an independent summary. Read the full, original reporting from the publisher:
Read the full story at The GuardianSpotted an error? Request a correction · How this summary was produced
Related Stories
French protests over school conditions swell
Mass rallies backing high school protests continue across France, piling pressure on President Emmanuel Macron.
French unions say 480,000 people took part in pro-student protests
French authorities have not yet given their own estimate for the demonstrations.
French fridge fright: Why supermarkets have become target for hackers
More than 500 shops across France were hit in a major cyberattack on freezers, which caused tonnes of food to perish.
‘Our future is being stolen’: Greta Thunberg joins students protesting in Paris
Swedish activist stands alongside French teenagers calling for investment to fix teacher shortages and crumbling schools The Swedish climate…
Gales and heavy rain to impact UK as yellow wind warning issued
The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for wind in north-west Scotland on Wednesday with 70mph gusts possible, as Ben Rich explains.
Science Corporation implants its vision-restoring chip in its first Stargardt disease patient
Max Hodak, the former president and co-founder of Neuralink, detailed on stage at TechCrunch Disrupt how his company's work with PRIMA is part of…
More tea? How Scotland's crops of the future could be set to change
Experts are examining the ways Scotland's farmers might diversify and adapt to a changing climate.
NASA Names Astronaut Christina Koch Acting Deputy Chief Engineer
NASA engineer and astronaut Christina Koch will serve as the agency’s acting deputy chief engineer beginning on Sunday, Nov. 1, following the…



