Learning Languages Can Reduce Anxiety
English

Learning Languages Can Reduce Anxiety

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language learning
friendship
language exchanges

Mark had felt anxious and fatigued for a long time, which negatively affected his life. Eventually he went to a doctor and was diagnosed with anxiety. Besides taking medication, he tried exploring new hobbies like learning Chinese. Initially he did not know to study on his own and did not take it seriously. Things changed when he found a language partner May, who was eager to improve her English.

After committing to learning Chinese, he surprisingly found very satisfied with any small progress, although he would always feel frustrated. Meanwhile, he felt somewhat embarrassed to admit how rewarded he felt about those minor milestones until he realized that May could understand. She told Mark that she felt pleased whenever learning new things, such as getting constructive feedback from native speakers.  

Mark was introverted and isolated. By sharing the same interest with May, he became cheerful. They helped each other to improve significantly. Both of them never thought about why they felt so good about learning languages.  

In reality, research says people tend to be more peaceful when focusing on any skills, such as playing musical instruments or learning languages. Therefore learning languages can relieve anxiety.

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