I write a lot about language because I find it interesting on several levels, and I really can’t think of a better way to get to know your own brain than to become bilingual. Take the act of learning a new word or phrase: it’s actually a physical connection that takes place inside your brain as a chemical bond is formed between synapses. For example, if I tell you about the Ai Yori Aoshi game that we’ve got on sale this month, you might have one of several reactions. If you know about the (excellent) manga and anime series already, you might click over to check out the game, which is just $8.95 this month. But if the (admittedly difficult) Japanese title is unknown to you, your brain might sieze up a little as it tries to parse these strange foreign words. By reading the title, trying to recall it or linking it to other bits of knowledge, eventually a synaptic bridge will be built and you’ll “know” the name. I remember riding the train into Akihabara for the first time back in 1991 and trying to memorize the name, which was new to me then. In order to get my brain to remember the name, I had to cross-reference it in several ways, looking up the kanji name and even imagining an autumn field of leaves (which is what Akihabara means). I imagined I could feel the synapses slowy reaching out to one another as the word clicked into place in my head.
Learning a phrase like Ai Yori Aoshi, your brain undergoes a physical change.
