The New York Times reports on a new study that shows the link between early musical training and the ability to learn Mandarin and other tonal languages:
Anyone who has tried to learn Chinese can attest to how hard it is to master the tones required to speak and understand it. And anyone who has tried to learn to play the violin or other instruments can report similar challenges.
Now researchers have found that people with musical training have an easier time learning Chinese.
Writing in the online edition of Nature Neuroscience, researchers from Northwestern University say that both skills draw on parts of the brain that help people detect changes in pitch. [Full text]
– An abstract of the article is available on the Nature Neuroscience website.
