Do you learn a second language faster than your first one?

Question

I started learning mandarin 6 weeks ago. At first things go really fast and I learned words and greetings easily. Now things are going slower. Not harder, but slower. So my first question is has anyone experienced this? My 2nd question is do you learn a second language faster than your first one? I was talking to my mom (monolingual) and she said that by the time I am 18 (I am 13 now) that I will be able to speak like a 6 year old. Is this true? I have heard of people becoming fluent in a language with a couple of years of hard work.

PS

I have some teach your self materials, but I mainly practice with 3 native speakers through skype. I use a webcam and so do my partners.

Answer 1

If you stick with learning and practice as much as you can, preferrably with a native speaker of your chosen language, you will be excellent in no time at all. Your mum is wrong saying you will only have reached the proficiency of a 6 year old after 5 years study. Learning a third or fourth language will be easier, especially if that language is of the same or similar origin as the second one. At school, I learned Latin and Spanish. Learning Italian later was amazingly simple. I even went on to learn Bahasa, (Spoken in Indonesia and Malaya). While not related to Latin, I found these easy to pick up and can speak fluently in both. Learn your vocabulary and stick with it, it is a very rewarding pursuit.

Answer 2

The first language you learn is the one you learn the fastest because it's at a time when your brain is developing at an extremely quick rate and you're heavily induced in that language, so you just soak it all up. Plus, at that age, it's the only way for you to communicate with people so you automatically acquire more and more knowledge of it. The very best way, if not the only way, to become entirely fluent in any language is to go to a place where it's constantly spoken. you can learn languages pretty well by taking classes, but it's definitely not the same. The reason you're so fluent in English is because you've constantly practiced it every day since you first learned to speak. You're mom is probably right, but a six-year old would have been learning mandarin at a time when his/her brain was just developing, so it's not entirely accurate.

Answer 3

Well, first and foremost you have to pick a foreign language to learn. What language would your job require of you? Or if they don't specifcy, what would you want to learn? Probably the best choices for a Flight Attendant would be -Spanish -French -German -Chinese -Japanese Any of these would likely serve you well. Now as far as learning the language, the best advice would be for you to take a class. You could try looking at universites and community colleges in your area and check their course catalog. This would allow you to get direct feedback from a teachers and you would also be in an enviornment where other people are trying to learn the language as well. Futhermore you would probably be able to find opportunites through your school which would allow you to study abroad; this is vital in becoming fluent in the language. If neither study abroad or nor classroom study can be done then independent study it is. The best way to go about doing this would be to look for good self-help books, a bilingual dictionary and some audio CDs (Pimsleur CDs work great by the way). Doing this will allow you to practice hearing, writing and reading the language. You could also do creative things like making flash cards to help build up your vocabulary. Once you've built up some fluency in the language you could try surfing the net in that language (scroll to the bottom of this page and switch to the flag that corresponds to the language you're learning). It would also be helpful to try getting a pen pal that could help you with the language. I've done this with both Portuguese and Spanish and am currently doing this with Japanese and French and it has helped me immensely. Overall, remember to stay dedicated and do fun things to help you learn the language like listening to music or watching movies in that language, that will give you motivation to continue learning. Best of luck

Answer 4

Greetings have a lot of simple structure, so of course they're quick to learn. And if you do have classes, it'll go a lot faster than trying to figure out a complex language like Mandarin on your own. The only way it could be said that you learn a 2nd language faster than your first is that when you go for a 2nd language, you've already learned how to learn a language, which is really the hardest part. Good luck!

Answer 5

It is true that you can be fluent in a language in just a few years. That, of course, doesn't have to mean your vocabulary is very broad, but you should be able to learn all the grammar in just a few times.
Since you don't learn in school it might not apply to you, but it most probably will - you either learn the proper way first - meaning the standard words), and later on you work on certain expressions that are common in spoken language. There's a difference between what you learn from teachers or CD's, and what you learn when you live somewhere.

Answer 6

It depends on your skill level and how you are learning [classes, self teaching, etc.]

I can speak nearly fluent French after three years of formal training, but I've been teaching myself Japanese for four and can only speak at the level of maybe an eight year old.

Faster than your first language? I don't know. I know that with each new language you learn, it gets easier, because you've learned different grammar, etc. But I don't know about only your second.

Good luck with the Chinese! I'm holding off 'til college for Mandarin. Teaching myself one Asian language is enough for the moment.

Answer 7

Yes, it is much easier to learn a second language than a first. You will have developed skills and techniques, motivation and expectation, and mental habits that will make it easier. Go for it.

Answer 8

no you do not becuase when you learn your primary language you learn it at an age where yopur brain is soaking a mass of information. When you start to learn a second language you are so accustumed to the first language it seem harder.

Answer 9

Actually, it gets easier for me with the second language. I mean, i know the fundamentals on how to get one certain language. Of course, i have a really heavy accent in the second one, but that's natural.

Answer 10

you learn your second language faster than the first, the third faster than the second, and so on.

the problem with learning your first language is that ppl you use "baby-talk" when talking to you, and that's what you learn. Then it is very hard to break those habits.