Alcohol abuse is dangerous for health but consumed with moderation it would allow us to improve our pronunciation in a foreign language. On the other hand, drinking too much would have the opposite effect, and make our speech confusing and slow.
Smoother conversations and better pronunciation
In a study published last October in the British journal and relayed in a article, English and Dutch researchers tested 50 German students at the University of Maastricht (Netherlands). Half of them simply drank a glass of water, and the other half a quantity of alcohol determined by the weight of the person, the equivalent of a quart of beer for a 70-kg man. After that, all the German students had to converse for two minutes with a Dutch interlocutor.
Results: although those who consumed alcohol did not feel more confident, they were better rated by Dutch observers, especially with a smoother conversation and a better pronunciation. On the other hand, it has also been shown that too much alcohol impairs cognitive and motor functions and negatively affects speech that becomes confused and slow.
"In the future, research will have to include a placebo with alcohol"
Psychological effect?
The study's leaders call for relativizing these results. "The participants knew what they were consuming", it is impossible to determine whether it is "a biological effect of alcohol consumption or a psychological effect. "
New tests would be to consider, "In the future, searches will need to include a placebo to alcohol. "
But this is not the first study done showing that a small amount of alcohol consumed would help us in a foreign language. In a presented by , English-speaking university students were tested on their pronunciation in Thai. Language in which they previously had no experience. Those who drank about were more successful than those who had drunk a placebo without alcohol or others who had drunk too much - about the double amount, 88ml or 10cl of alcohol.
Too much alcohol leads to the opposite effect
In addition, confirm that the drunker, the harder it is to speak correctly, including one's native language. "Apparently, drinking seven Bourbon 86 proof shooters was enough for the participants to change their L to R and S to CH, even when native English speakers were speaking English," according to the study cited by Slate. "With 0.10% alcohol in the blood, participants' speech and contained more breaks than when they were sober, so if a single drink can loosen the tongue for the better, being drunk can directly tie it again. "
Alcohol, therefore, remains to be consumed in moderation as much for its health as for its linguistic performance.
