sarahness

Music lessons could have a direct impact on a child’s ability to learn languages by affecting the mind’s sensitivity to all sounds, scientists have claimed.

Researchers at Northwestern University in Chicago, America, found out that exposure to music can be beneficial to the brain in its developmental stages, and would have advantages for all children, including those who are dyslexic and autistic.

Professor Nina Kraus, who led the team, said playing an instrument had an impact on automatic processing in the brainstem, the lower section of the brain which governs breathing, the heartbeat and reaction to sounds.

“Playing music engages the ability to extract relevant patterns, such as the sound of one’s own instrument, harmonies and rhythms, from the ’soundscape.

“Playing an instrument may help youngsters better process speech in noisy classrooms and more accurately interpret the nuances of language that are conveyed by subtle changes in the human voice,” she said.