Why can’t adults learn languages like children?
In: Biology
There are studies that suggest the human brain is wired at birth to be really good at learning languages, but as we grow older, that functionality goes away, even to the extent that we lose the ability to even perceive certain sounds if we don’t hear them spoken. I recall reading a study years ago that said the area of the brain tailored for language acquisition suffers a massive die-off of cells at around age two and another around age seven. However, more recent studies show the brain is able to easily learn languages until age 17 or so.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180501083830.htm
Personally, I am a native English speaker who learned Spanish and German quite easily as a teenager. Now that I am nearly 60, trying to learn Italian and Mandarin have proved far more difficult. I can really tell a difference in my aptitude. It’s still possible to learn languages at any age, but it’s usually a lot harder once your brain loses its youthful “plasticity.”
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