Learning 1st Language vs. Learning 2nd Language

A common belief is that learning a foreign language when you are younger is easier than when you are older. That statement is in fact true. Like anything else, people begin to learn a language by starting at the bare basics. They listen to people who speak that language and then try to imitate those sounds, building into words and then sentences. The reason that learning a language so young is easier is because that child is immersed into the language. They spend their time hearing the different sounds and words all day long. When a person tries to learn a second language they are not hearing that second language all the time, so it’s harder for them to catch on because they also continue to hear their first language. A second difference is that children want to learn the language that they are hearing around them because they want a way to communicate. Until they learn that language, they have no real way of communicating to their parents except through things like crying and showing what they want. The person learning it as a second language already has a way of communication, so for them it’s not like life or death. They can rely on their other form of communication, even though it might be nice to have a second form. A third difference is that an adult knows so much already that a child doesn’t that gets in the way of their learning. For the adult to learn the new language they have to essentially forget everything they know about their first language. This is a complicated process, and that on top of not having a muscular plasticity doesn’t help them. Children have that plasticity, which allows them to understand pronunciations and memorize more words. The ability of knowing more ends up hurting the adults because they tend to want to look more into the language and why it is the way it is than a child would ever be able to. We know that the differences are there, and it might not be as easy, but people still try and succeed in learning languages when they are older. One of their beginning steps might align with that of a child, and try to immerse themselves in the language.

http://www.brighthub.com/education/languages/articles/62543.aspx 

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