If you're looking to learn a new skill in 2020 (can we suggest Mandarin?)

You're in luck! In today's learning environment, it's all about working smarter, not harder. So, how can science help you become a super-learner? Read on for some tips that you can start using today.

Cardio + Chinese 

= Max. Learning Potential

Can moving around help boost your learning? Research says that cardiovascular exercise—activities that increase your breathing and heart rate—causes a release of dopamine and epinephrine, neurotransmitters that are vital for memory formation.

One study revealed that "acute exercise improves memory in a time-dependant fashion by priming the molecular processes involved in the encoding and consolidation of newly acquired information."

In other words, memorizing those new characters will be a cakewalk after a bit of cardio. 

Does this mean you have to exercise more? Not necessarily. If cardio is already part of your daily routine, why not try studying right after a jog or your gym workout? Your brain will be more fertile and ready to create links that will stay longer.

Change Up Your Study Space

Some students are creatures of habit and love studying in the same place every day. Other students prefer café studying. Are there advantages to changing up your study space?

Research coming out of California found that people who studied in different environments were able to recall words 21 percent better than people who repeatedly studied in the same environment.

Why? Scientists think that it has to do with what triggers memory. If we constantly study in the same place, it's more difficult for our brain to recall those same things in a different environment.

But if our brain gets used to studying in different environments, it becomes easier to recall what you know wherever you are, like the next time you go to the seafood market, for example. What’s the word for oyster again?

Teach a Friend

Have you tried teaching Mandarin to a friend? Experiments have demonstrated that when students are asked to teach their classmates, their recall abilities increase substantially.

We have to thoroughly understand a topic before we can teach it. When we teach someone else, we develop a deeper and more persistent understanding of the material. That means better recall.

Don't have a friend to teach? That's okay. Why not try writing an email to yourself about a grammar rule you recently learned? Or share it with a family member back home?

Even if they don't care too much about what you're learning, the simple act of putting it in writing and having to explain it to someone else will do wonders for your Mandarin.