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Trying to learn a new language tends to elicit a lot of advice from people. Some might suggest moving to another country to immerse yourself in the language, claiming that within a few months, you’ll be fluent. Others might caution that it’s nearly impossible to pick up a new language as an adult, even if you practice Duolingo every day.
But learning a language at earlier or later stages of life confers different advantages, writes Karen Stollznow, a linguistics fellow at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Young children tend to more easily acquire native accents, and they “use the language smoothly, without having to think about the rules,” Stollznow explains.
But adults have other advantages, like grammar knowledge of their own language, problem-solving skills – and, in some cases, a strong motivation to learn.
“So is it better to learn a second language as a child or as an adult? Research suggests the more useful question is which aspects of language learning, such as pronunciation, fluency or long-term mastery, matter most,” Stollznow writes. “Ultimately, some people pick up languages quickly while others struggle, regardless of how old they are. ”
Learning a language isn’t a race against the clock – it’s a journey that everyone can undertake, at their own pace.
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