A beer could make a difference in your communication skills
We have all experienced that moment when, after two drinks, we feel that, finally, so many english classes They have borne fruit. Suddenly it seems that we are bilingual ! We talk about everything, and with what ease: if our teachers could see us...! However, doubt assails us: are we really communicating better that never... or will be the effects of alcohol What makes us see the world in pink?
Science has come to solve the dilemma, and it has done so through a study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology of SAGE Journals . Under the long name of Dutch bravery? Effects of acute alcohol use on self-assessments and observer ratings of foreign language skills, British and Dutch researchers have concluded that "acute alcohol use may have beneficial effects on pronunciation of a foreign language in people who have recently learned that language.
To find out, they studied 50 native German speakers studying Dutch at the University of Maastricht, the Netherlands, who were asked to have an informal two-minute conversation with a interviewer in the language they were learning. Before that talk, half were given Water to drink, while the other half was served a alcoholic beverage . The amount of alcohol varied depending on the person's weight, but for a 150-pound man, it was equivalent to a little less than a pint of beer.
The experiment was carried out in a bar
The conversations were recorded and later qualified by two native Dutch people who did not know who had consumed alcohol and who had not. Participants were also asked to rate their own performance , depending on how fluently they felt they had spoken. The most curious thing is that alcohol had no effect in these self-assessments, so that those who had drunk beer were no more confident or satisfied with their performance than those who had drunk water... but that was not what the native people responsible for scoring the conversation.
"Participants who consumed alcohol had significantly better grades on his skill with the Dutch language by observers. Specifically, they displayed better pronunciation compared to those who did not consume alcohol," the study reads.
Of course, the researchers also warn that these effects could be completely reversed if too much alcohol is ingested, and clarify that it is not possible to know if the speech improved due to biological or psychological effects of the beer For this reason, they encourage other scientists to carry out similar studies, but this time, with a placebo rather than with a spirit drink, "to disentangle the relative impact of pharmacological effects versus psychological expectation ", they clarify. That is, to find out if the alcohol really had an effect on them... or what had an effect on them was the idea they had that alcohol would improve their handling of the Dutchman.
That moment when you feel like you communicate better than ever...
"According to this study, consuming a small amount of alcohol (in the study it was a beer) could help lower anxiety level we have when we have to speak a language that we don't speak very well", explains Giorgio Iemmolo , Director of Academic Management at EF's European, South African and Costa Rican language campuses. "And a lot of people can feel more confident speaking in another language, but really, this is a illusionary effect ", affirms the expert, who trusts more in the methods ' traditional '.
"The biggest barrier we have when it comes to speaking a language that is not ours is the lack of trust . If one wants to progress, the first thing is take a chance , start talking, because practice is what gives the necessary competence, as it happens with all skills. Regarding the context, I believe that total immersion is the fastest route to mastering a language: being immersed abroad, reading, listening to the radio or watching television programs and interact with natives It allows you to develop communication skills more quickly. Another thing is don't focus too much on grammar at the beginning of the apprenticeship, but it would always be nice to have someone who can correct pronunciation and grammar (in these cases, language courses are the most appropriate solution) . practicing you can hone the ability to hold conversations in a short time," concludes Iemmolo.
Overcome lack of confidence and you will conquer the language