Comment Re:New study? (Score 1) 274
Hasn't this been common knowledge for decades or centuries? It's the primary reason they teach some languages. Ie, no one learns Latin because it helps them communicate with native Latin speakers, and most of the students of Latin will not be perusing the classics as light reading (though the Latin version of Asterix is good), but they teach it because it affects how the students think.
Definitely I was told by more than one person growing up that learning a second language changes how you think about the world. So I can only presume that this new study is not breaking any ground and is just a bit more evidence to pile onto the mountain of evidence.
I learned French in high school and it didn't change how I viewed the world. Traveling, on the other hand, has.
Perhaps if you learn a new language on your own when you are more mature. In that case you are already looking for new perspectives and a direction for growth. In other words, it might be the act of learning itself and not languages specifically.
Of course, it's a completely different story if you move to a new region and are learning both a new language and a new culture.