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We may be able to learn vocabulary while sleeping

Learning Vocabulary - Level 0

We could learn vocabulary while we are sleeping. This is great news for language learners. Researchers said we can learn new information while sleeping and use this information later. The researchers did tests using new words and their translations. The researchers said our sleeping brain is active.

The language areas and memory in the brain work after a person wakes up. These areas remember vocabulary when we sleep. During deep sleep, our brain is active for about half a second. This is when our brain could learn vocabulary. More research is needed to be sure that we can learn vocabulary when we are sleeping.

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Learning Vocabulary - Level 1

We could learn vocabulary while we are asleep. This is great news for language learners and word lovers. Researchers showed it is possible to learn new information while sleeping deeply, and recall this information later. The researchers did tests to see if a person can remember new words and their translations while they were asleep. The researchers said our sleeping brain is much more aware than we thought.

A researcher said, "language areas of the brain and the...brain's...memory were activated" after a person wakes up. These areas of the brain remember vocabulary during sleep. During deep sleep, our brain is active for about half a second. It then switches off for half a second. The active state is called "up-state". This is when our brain could learn new vocabulary. More research is needed to be sure that we can learn vocabulary while sleeping.

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11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Learning Vocabulary - Level 2

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A study shows we could learn vocabulary while we are asleep. This is great news for students trying to learn a new language or increase their knowledge of words. Researchers in Switzerland showed that it is possible to learn new information while sleeping deeply, and then recall this information when we need it later. The researchers did tests on whether or not a person can remember new words and their translations while they were asleep. The researchers said our sleeping brain is much more aware of the outside world than we thought.

A researcher said, "language areas of the brain and the...brain's essential memory hub were activated" after a person woke up. These areas of the brain remember vocabulary during deep sleep. During deep sleep, our brain is active for about half a second. It then enters a period of inactivity. The active state is called "up-state" and the inactive state is called "down-state." The "up-state" period is when our brain could learn new vocabulary. The researchers say more research is needed to be 100 per cent sure that we can learn vocabulary while asleep.

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11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Learning Vocabulary - Level 3

A new study shows that we could learn vocabulary while we are sleeping. This is great news for students struggling to learn a new language. It is also good for anyone who is trying to expand their knowledge of words. Researchers from the University of Bern in Switzerland have shown that it is possible to learn new information while we are sleeping deeply, and then recall this information when we need it after we wake up. This new information includes foreign language vocabulary. The researchers conducted tests on whether or not a person can remember new words and their translations while they were asleep. They said our sleeping brain is much more aware of the outside world than we thought.

Researcher Marc Züst said, "language areas of the brain and the hippocampus - the brain's essential memory hub - were activated" after a person woke up. He said these areas of the brain allow us to remember vocabulary during deep sleep. The researchers said that during deep sleep, our brain cells are active for a short period of time - about half a second. The cells then enter into a period of inactivity - again, about half a second. The active state is called "up-state" and the inactive state is called "down-state." The "up-state" period is the time when our brain could learn new vocabulary. The researchers say more research is needed to be 100 per cent sure that we can learn vocabulary while asleep.

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25 online activities    |    27-page printable    |    2-page mini-lesson