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’s not about first vs second language chronologically speaking, it’s about what you were most exposed to by a certain age. Around age 8-10 there’s a part of our brain that basically turns off. This part of the brain is very closely associated with language learning, and is capable of learning via immersion alone, without studying rules or grammar or pronunciation.

If you are bilingual from birth you will basically be fluent in both languages, provided you don’t let any atrophy for a long period of time