Why do we learn a new language better when we are younger?

Question

There is a study that shows that when somebody learns a language at a young age, they learn faster and more efficient. But at age 12 that ability diminishes.

Answer 1

good question - I knew 4 languages(punjab, spanish, french, and hindi) additionaly to english as a child. Now it is just me and french and broken spanish. When you are a child, you don't remeber all the crazy things that go through your head throughout life, like your last boyfriend, that one time you barfed, or when Mikey picked up ur pencil after u dropped it. Your brain is freshed and ready to be used. So you pick up important things, the 10000 and more words in the English language and perhaps more langauges. That is why kids will ask "what's that?". By 12, you've got all the basics and puberty and all that crap, so that's my thoughts : )

Answer 2

You pick up the language a lot quicker when you are young. The mind is open to learning just about anything until you get older and the innate abilities you had as a wee child isn't the same as a teenager.

Answer 3

I would argue with that study. I learned Spanish when I was older, 15 and 16 years old. Part of the adaptability of learning is because when you are young, you are usually a full-time student, devoted to learning.

When you are older, you have a job and family and do not necessarily have the time as readily available to learn new things. Your priorities change as your roles change.

Answer 4

because when you are younger you have no choice but to learn things and your memory is stronger. As the brain is developing it's learning some traits that is going to stick to it. I know about four languages and I'm not even 20. lol I know English, Creole, French, and Spanish. I don't think I really answered your question, but that's what I think.

Answer 5

Younger children learn a foreign language in the same part of their brains that English is learned in. As we grow older, a foreign language is learned in another part.

Answer 6

It is mainly due to the human phisiology. The brain cells(neurons) die off as you age that is why learning new languages is much easier when you are a teenager than a 30 year old individual. About a thousand neurons die off in your brain every year in average, this means more difficulty to reatain information. So now that i've said what i know i hope it was of some help to you!

Answer 7

Yes. When a baby is born, his brain is tabula rasa (clean board). Nothing is written on it yet, there is so much room there to write the information in. The new information goes in easily and does not have to push something else aside in fight for the space with the old information.

Answer 8

we learn new languages better when we are younger because we have more space in our brains and because it is easier for kids to absorb more information in a shorter amount of time.

Answer 9

because your brain is younger and more prone to learning thigns easier.

Answer 10

your brain is empty