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Thanks for reading the Multilingual Books newsletter, your source for foreign language news, information, and product information and specials from Multilingual Books. In this issue:
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Playing, and even watching, sports improves brain function and language skills
From Eurekalert.org
Being an athlete or merely a fan improves language skills when it comes to discussing their sport because parts of the brain usually involved in playing sports are instead used to understand sport language, new research at the University of Chicago shows.
The research was conducted on hockey players, fans, and people who'd never seen or played the game. It shows, for the first time, that a region of the brain usually associated with planning and controlling actions is activated when players and fans listen to conversations about their sport. The brain boost helps athletes and fans understanding of information about their sport, even though at the time when people are listening to this sport language they have no intention to act.
The study shows that the brain may be more flexible in adulthood than previously thought. "We show that non-language related activities, such as playing or watching a sport, enhance one's ability to understand language about their sport precisely because brain areas normally used to act become highly involved in language understanding," said Sian Beilock, Associate Professor in Psychology at the University of Chicago. She is lead author of the paper, "Sports Experience Enhances the Neural Processing of Action Language," to be published Tuesday, September 2 in the on-line issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"Experience playing and watching sports has enduring effects on language understanding by changing the neural networks that support comprehension to incorporate areas active in performing sports skills," she said. The research could have greater implications for learning. It shows that engaging in an activity taps into brain networks not normally associated with language, which improves the understanding of language related to that activity, Beilock added.
For the study, researchers asked 12 professional and intercollegiate hockey players, eight fans and nine individuals who had never watched a game to listen to sentences about hockey players, such as shooting, making saves and being engaged in the game. They also listened to sentences about everyday activities, such as ringing doorbells and pushing brooms across the floor. While the subjects listened to the sentences, their brains were scanned using functioning Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), which allows one to infer the areas of the brain most active during language listening. After hearing the sentences in the fMRI scanner, subjects performed a battery of tests designed to gauge their comprehension of those sentences.
Although most subjects understood the language about everyday activities, hockey players and fans were substantially better than novices at understanding hockey-related language. Brain imaging revealed that when hockey players and fans listen to language about hockey, they show activity in the brain regions usually used to plan and select well-learned physical actions. The increased activity in motor areas of the brain helps hockey players and fans to better understanding hockey language. The results show that playing sports, or even just watching, builds a stronger understanding of language, Beilock said.
See the article in full at: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-09/uoc-pae082708.php
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Stephen Spielberg and Peter Jackson are set to produce and direct an upcoming movie based on the beloved Tintin books. The movie will be based on the books The Secret of the Unicorn and Red Rackham's Treasure. Production is expected to begin in December. Tintin is one of the world's most popular illustrated characters. Following the exploits of a young adventurer and his dog Snowy (or Milou, in the original French), the series includes 22 titles. We offer all 22 Tintin titles in English, French, Spanish, and Farsi! |
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November Top Products
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Last month's quiz What do the following words have in common?
Shampoo, dinghy, bangle, cushy This month's winner is Nigel G. Congratulations and thanks to everyone who entered. This month's quiz Fall is here in the northern hemisphere, bringing chilly weather and harvest festivals such as Thanksgiving and Sukkot. For this month's quiz, give the meaning and language of these seasonal words.
manteau The answers and this month's winner will be in our next newsletter. Winners receive their choice of one Talk Now or World Talk language CD-ROM! No purchase necessary to enter. Have a favorite item of language trivia? Send it to contest@multilingualbooks.com. You will receive credit for your contribution if your item is used. E-mail your entry to:
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Google Language Tools
We've featured Google's free language tools before, but recent upgrades merit another mention. Upgrades include many more languages for all features and a new cross-language search: Search using your language for pages in another language, with automatic translation both ways! This amazing feature is slick and fast, and should be of use to anyone with international interests.
Check it out at https://www.google.com/language_tools?hl=en.
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$20 Off Pocket Translators! Pocket Translators
For a limited time, get $20 off list price on all pocket translators! Order today to save with our one week only newsletter special! Use promo code M-PT20 to receive this special. |
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Buy 3 Bilingual Children's Books, Get 1 Free! We offer bilingual books for children in over 15 languages from Albanian to Vietnamese! These beautifully illustrated books include classic titles such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears and The Pied Piper. Bilingual Children's Books information and ordering...
For a limited time, get 1 free book when you buy 3 or more books from our Bilingual Children's Books page! Save with our newsletter special for one week only. Use promo code M-CB341 to receive this special. Order today! |
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FREE Talk Now CD-ROM Course with Pimsleur or Foreign Service Institute Courses! Talk Now and World Talk CD-ROM Courses
Pimsleur Audio-Only Courses
Foreign Service Institute Courses For a limited time, receive a FREE Talk Now course (retail $45) with any Pimsleur or Foreign Service Institute course order over $100! Download delivery courses not included in this offer. Use promo code M-FTN to receive this special. Order today! |
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