How does it only take a year or so to speak/understand our first language but it’s so much harder to acquire another language?

Question

Like, we have a frame of reference (first language), so why is it so hard to learn another language after that?

In: Other

Answer 1

It isnt harder. But the belief that it is harder is enough to stop most people from trying. If someone really wanted to do it, and committed the same amount of time to their 2nd language as they did their 1st, there are many things we already know that we dont need to relearn. Things like language and grammar components. Sentences needing subjects and verbs. Most people dont actually want to learn Spanish in middle school, and not wanting to learn makes it much harder to learn.