A lot of people pick up Sudoku or solitaire to keep their minds active as they get older. I understand the appeal, but after decades of learning languages, I’m convinced nothing else comes close. Language learning connects you to new sounds, new people, new places, and even your own memories, all at once. At 80, it’s still the activity that keeps me feeling engaged and alive. What do you do to keep your brain active?
Can’t wait to watch! I look forward to every video, truly!
Shouldn’t it be “the best choice”?
Why? It’s a choice between two options and the question which one is better. It isn’t about what is the best, which could be an unmentioned 3rd option.
I learnt that best is a superlative - the best xx - and better is a comparative - better than xx -.
But languages evolve, hence my question (to native speakers).
The title follows an odd pattern of asking one or the other and then followed by a statement that doesn’t preference either of them.
To rearrange the sentence you could move the question mark to the end and prepend ‘Are’ to the initial question. Which affirms ‘better’ as the correct word as the question is comparative.
So many parts of language learning are boring to me, but connecting with other people and overcoming the barriers is exhilarating. Speaking with natives in the wild and one on one tutoring brings back the excitement that I thought was reserved for younger people. I definitely don’t get excited when doing sudokus.
One thing language learning has taught me is that every time I discover a new rule, I immediately want it to explain the entire language. Then native speakers come along and ruin the theory.
“The better choice for a healthy brain” sounds perfectly natural to my North American ears. It’s an extremely common pattern in advertising and headlines. In practice, “better” often gets used almost as a synonym for “superior,” even when the thing being compared isn’t explicitly stated.
If the title said “The superior choice for a healthy brain,” nobody would find it unusual. To me, “the better choice” works the same way.
I agree with roosterburton, it’s an odd phrase. As it stands, either word would be okay but it sounds slightly clumsy. We might say:
Language learning or sodoku: which one is best for brain health?
Or if you must use choice:
Language learning or sodoku: which one is the best choice for a healthy brain?
Just my view as a native speaker albeit with modest language skills.