It has been called the social lubricant, loud-mouth stew, hair-of-the-dog, hooch, grandma's corn squeezings, and many more names - but probably never educational aid.  I am talking about one of mankind's greatest and worst discoveries: alcohol.  Liquid courage has many observable effects on a human, but scientists are discovering that one positive effect may not be so obvious.  According to the Journal of Psychopharmacology, drinking one beer (equivalent to one pint of 5% beer) significantly improved a persons ability to pronounce words from a different language!

The study used 50 native Germans who recently started learning Dutch.  Researchers form 3 different universities asked them to have a conversation with a stranger who spoke Dutch and treated them to a drink.  They randomly assigned alcoholic drinks and non-alcoholic drinks to the group and had a pair of native Dutch speakers grade the fluency of the conversation.  Those who were downing the giggle juice performed significantly than those who got a tummy full of placebo.  You may not be able to speak your language very well, but it seems you can speak someone else's better when you are little boozy.

Scientists are unsure if the results can be attributed to calmed nerves or some other factor at this point.  I'm not sure if these researchers are trying to get to the bottom of this mystery or trying to get grant money to buy booze for some secret scientist party - but, at the very least, it's a great reason to buy a drink and talk to an exotic stranger.

Closing Day - Red Carpet - Malaga Film Festival 2017
Carlos Alvarez, Getty Images
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But, before you go out and try to drink yourself into Antonio Banderas so you can pick up on that hot Latin number, take heed! One of the researchers issued this warning:

Higher levels of alcohol consumption might not have

beneficial effects on the pronunciation of a foreign

language.”

 

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