Sophie Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Sophie…
Neil Watashi-wa Ni-ru.
Sophie What did you say?
Neil Watashi-wa Ni-ru. 'I'm Neil.' It's Japanese, Sophie.
Sophie Very good, Neil! So your Japanese language lessons are going well, then?
Neil They are indeed (дійсно, в самом деле). And did you know, Sophie, that scientists believe learning a second language can boost (збільшити, підвищити) brainpower (інтелект, розумові здібності)? Bilingualism – or speaking two languages equally (в равной степени, одинаково, поравну) well – is a form of brain training.
Sophie Brain training is where you're learning ways to increase (підвищення) your memory or intelligence. That's great Neil – but you're not exactly… bilingual… are you?
Neil Not yet. No.
Sophie Well, brain training is the subject of today's show. And ways to train your brain might be doing (може робити) a crossword puzzle, playing chess, or studying a new language! Now I have a question for you, Neil.
Neil I hope my brain is up to the challenge. (Я сподіваюся, що мій мозок впоратися з цим завданням, викликом).
Sophie I'm sure it is. Can you tell me: How many neurons – or nerve cells – are there in the typical human brain? Is it … a) 8.6 billion b) 86 billion Or c) 860 billion
Neil Hmm. I'm going to say a) 8.6 billion.
Sophie Well, we'll find out later on in the show whether (чи, або) you got the answer right or not. But now let's listen to neuropsychologist Dr Catherine Loveday talking about why being bilingual may protect your brain from damage (ушкодження) if you have a stroke (інсульт).
INSERT Dr Catherine Loveday, neuropsychologist I think the theory behind (позаду, попередньо сказана) why bilingualism might be a protective factor is that [it] involves (включає, містить) a lot of switchings (переключення) – a lot of attentional changes – lots of switching. And that seems to exercise the sort of executive parts (здійснювати вид, сортувати, класифікувати виконавчих частин) of our brain. Those parts of the brain are kind of stronger and fitter (здоровішй) when it comes to resisting (стійкий, протидіє, ) some kind of damage(вред, пошкодження, ущерб) from the stroke.
Neil A stroke is a serious illness that occurs (ставатися, призводити до) when blood flow (потік, приплив, ) to an area (до області) of the brain is cut off (відсікати, припиняти). And executive functions (виконавчі функції) are the mental (розумові, психічні, духовні) skills involved (що беруть участь, вовлекать) in doing things like problem solving and planning.
Sophie So when a bilingual speaker switches – or changes – from one language to another – this exercises (здійснює) the executive (виконавчі) parts of their brain, making it stronger and fitter. And because the brain is stronger, it's able to resist (протистояти) – or prevent (попереджати, предохранять) – damage caused by a stroke (ушкодження, викликані інсультом).
Neil But many of us aren't bilingual are we? So our brains aren't going to be protected against (проти) strokes - інсульт.
Sophie Don't worry, Neil. There are other things you can do to exercise your brain. If you're right handed, doing tasks like brushing your teeth with your left hand will stimulate your brain – or getting dressed in the dark with your eyes shut (одягалася в темряві з закритими очима). Or simply memorizing a list of words, for example your shopping list.
Neil Doing things with the wrong hand sounds hard. But the shopping list thing sounds easier… OK. Let's see… pizza, doughnuts [dounʌts] - пончики, crisps, bottle of coke, chocolate cake…
Sophie That's not a very healthy list, Neil! A good diet is also important in keeping your brain fit and healthy.
Neil Maybe I should cut down on the chocolate cake then?
Sophie Actually, that's one thing you could leave on the list. According to research, chocolate may enhance (збільшити, підвищити) – or improve – cognitive (пізнавальний) performance, and that is your ability to acquire (отримувати, набувати) and utilize ([jˈuːtɪlaɪːz] - использовать, расходовать) knowledge.
Now let's listen to Dr Loveday talking about building up our cognitive reserve (когнітивний, пізнавальний резерв) – this is the idea of building up extra abilities to help protect the brain against declining (спад, пониження) memory or thinking.
INSERT Dr Catherine Loveday, neuropsychologist (нейропсихолог) Continually (безперервно) just stimulating the brain – things like learning a language, learning music, just educating yourself, seems to continue to build up (накоплювати, збільшувати, нарощувати, подготовка к чему-либо) that cognitive(пізнавальний) reserve. So even if people take up (починати щось робити, братися за, обговорювати, ) languages or take up other things later in life it will give them a degree of protection.
Neil Stimulate means to make something become more active (стають більш активними). Hmm. Not sure I'm continually stimulating my brain. What do you think, Sophie?
Sophie With all our stimulating discussions (З усіма нашими стимулюючими обговореннями), Neil, I'm sure we're both building up (нарощувати) our cognitive reserve. And there are your Japanese lessons too.
Neil Well, so I am doing well as far as my cognitive reserve goes (Я роблю добре, наскільки мій когнітивний резерв йде). Sophie you've put my mind at rest (to stop someone from worrying about something: Chris phoned to say they'd arrived safely, so that really put my mind at rest.).
Sophie And if you put someone's mind at rest you stop them worrying. Well, don't get too relaxed Neil – your brain needs constant (постійний) stimulation, remember?
Neil Hmm. I think I might (міг би - may) just lie down (запасатися) after the show with a box of chocolates and today's crossword… or maybe I'll memorize another shopping list… this time in Japanese.
Sophie OK. I think it's time to hear the answer to today's quiz (a test of knowledge - питання вікторини) question. I asked: How many neurons are there in the typical human brain? Is it … a) 8.6 billion b) 86 billion or c) 860 billion?
Neil And I said a) 8.6 billion.
Sophie I thought you were feeling clever today, Neil. I'm afraid that's the wrong answer. It's b) 86 billion. But do you know how scientists calculated that number?
Neil Did they have a guess (припущення), Sophie?
Sophie No, not exactly (не зовсім.). Apparently (мабуть, очевидно, ), the easiest way is to count how many neurons there are in one part of the brain and then multiply that for the rest of the brain's volume (помножити, те з (іншої частиною) рештою обсягу мозку).
Neil Well, that's a lot of brain cells. OK, can we hear the words we learned today?
Sophie They are: bilingualism brain training neurons stroke (інсульт, удар) executive functions (виконавчі функції; керівник, виконавець) switches resist (протистояти, опиратися, чинити опір) enhance [ɪnhˈɑːns] - підвищувати, збільшувати cognitive reserve stimulate put someone's mind at rest - перестать волноваться, беспокоиться
Neil Well, that's the end of today's 6 Minute English. Don't forget to join us again soon!
Both Bye. ............................................................... What is brain training and can it really make us more intelligent? Neil and Sophie discuss the health benefits of being able to speak two or more languages fluently. And Neil shows off his Japanese language skills!
This week's question
How many neurons – or nerve cells – are there in the typical human brain? Is it …
a) 8.6 billion
b) 86 billion
c) 860 billion
You can hear the right answer at the end of the programme.
Vocabulary
bilingualism speaking two languages equally well
brain training learning ways to increase your memory or intelligence