Can you really learn a foreign language while you sleep?

It really seems so easy. Just put on the CD or tapes, relax in bed, and learn English (or another foreign language) while you sleep. Have you ever seen those ads that say “Learn English while you sleep” or that promise to learn a language “effortlessly” by listening to a tape or CD while relaxing or taking a nap? With the continued rise in the study of English as a Foreign Language or Second Language (EFL, ESL), progressive English TEFL and foreign language teachers, foreign language learners, and educational administrators need to be aware of the implications posed by the statements of “learning English (or another foreign language) while you sleep. To better understand the processes involved, let’s first look at each of them individually in turn.

What is sleep?

The dream state is generally defined as “the state of rest in which the body is not active and the mind is unconscious.” Webster’s New World Dictionary (third edition, 1989) offers a more extensive definition; “sleep: a condition of natural and regular rest for the body and mind, during which the eyes are usually closed and there is little or no conscious thought or voluntary movement, but there are intermittent dreams.”

Sleep is also compared to death. In the Holy Bible (NWT, 1981) in John 11:11 Jesus says: “Lazarus or a friend has gone to rest, but I am traveling there to wake him up from sleep.” Then, in verse 14, Jesus clarifies his meaning of “sleep”, “At that time, therefore, Jesus openly said to them: Lazarus is dead.” In describing death, the Bible continues in Ecclesiastes 9: 5 saying, “The living are aware that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all.” Sleep, then, is characterized as a condition typically devoid of conscious thought. Have you ever slept through a severe storm, a series of car alarms going off, an explosion, an earthquake (minor earthquake), or dogs barking loudly at night? Completely unconscious, right? For further clarification, here are some characteristics of the human dream.

Sleep characteristics

The characteristics of sleep in humans are:

or lying down, if possible, although it is possible to sleep in almost any position according to studies carried out in astronauts and in sleep study centers

o The eyes are closed, but sleep can occur with the eyes open in an environment without light and / or distraction.

o Hears nothing or does not consciously respond to external sounds depending on the level, depth or stage of sleep

o Slow, rhythmic breathing pattern (which may be altered during the sleep stage)

o The muscles are completely relaxed with the exception of altered sleep states or reaction to dreams or abnormal physical conditions.

o The person may occasionally roll over by changing position

Stages of sleep

On average, a person goes through five stages or levels of sleep. Each of the stages has distinctive characteristics and determines what the brain and body are capable of.

o Stage one: 4-5% light sleep. Muscle activity slows down

o Stage two: 45-55% The heart and respiratory rate slows down. Lowers body temperature

o Stage three: 4-6% deep sleep. The slow delta waves begin

o Stage Four – 12-15% Very deep sleep; the brain produces delta waves

o Stage five: 20-25% rapid eye movement (REM); the dream happens

Why do we sleep?

For the most part, sleep allows various vital functions to be carried out. It is an essential physical and mental state that we cannot do without. Our dream allows us to:

o To repair muscles and other tissues

o To replace dead or aging cells

o An opportunity for the brain to organize and archive memories, that is, in part, to transfer data and memories from short-term memory to long-term memory.

o Decreases energy consumption (balance of enzyme production achieved, that is, blood glucose levels, electrolyte levels, etc.)

o To recharge the brain (the decreased supply of fluids and enzymes in the organs and lymphatic system can be replenished during sleep)

How much do I dream?

Most young adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night, but the amount of sleep required can vary based on age, daily activity, diet, nutrition, and other physical and / or psychological factors. Lack of sleep can directly affect:

o Short-term memory

o Performance

o Efficiency

o Physical health

o Emotional health

With 30 to 40 million Americans suffering from severe sleep-related disorders, the effect of sleep on learning and cognitive skills is of great concern.

In the next segment of this series, “Learn a Foreign Language While You Sleep: Theoretical Approaches,” we will look at recent and current theories and approaches to language learning and how some apparently might provide support for these claims.