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I too find it strange. The most obvious explanation to me is that adults simply don't have the time, energy, or money to devote to consistent practice with a fl

I too find it strange. The most obvious explanation to me is that adults simply don't have the time, energy, or money to devote to consistent practice with a fluent speaker where ones effort is being tested in some way like children. And no Duolingo doesn't count as.

DoingIsLearning 6y ago
> consistent practice with a fluent speaker where ones effort is being tested in some way like children I agree with the total time and deliberate practice aspect but in my opinion you are underestimating one extra factor for adult learning. As an adult if you practice a new language with natives (outside the context of a formal lessons) the majority of people will be a lot more accomodating of mistakes and mispronunciation simply because of the social pressure of wanting to 'save face' and not trying to demotivate the person who is learning. There are maybe a handful of close friends who will be brutally honest enough to correct you, in the same way they would correct an infant. For the most part as an adult it is more common that you end up practicing with an 'excessively tolerant' feedback loop from other language natives.
- brutt 6y ago
  Use app.
- wincy 6y ago
  I tried being “brutally honest” with an Indian coworker about her English. She started to studiously avoid me, and I realized I’d made a huge misstep following the “golden rule” so to speak. If I learn a new language I want people to constantly correct me. I have another coworker who is Eastern European and she has explicitly told me “point out EVERY mistake I make. Be brutal, I want to learn perfect English.” So I do. It seems like she really is getting less of an accent from it. It’s pretty cool to see. People are nice and don’t point out mistakes because some people don’t want this. It’s taboo on both sides, at least in the corporate US world. So they never learn to speak fluently just enough to get by.
raducu 6y ago
While I agree in principle, there are things that are much harder for adults to learn -- like perfect pitch. Perhaps children are much more immersed into the activity than adults. I recently stopped all cartoons for my 2.5 year old daughter, at the recommendation of her educator and multiple therapists because she only ate when watching cartoons -- but if she ate normally, I wouldn't do so -- she picked up english(not her primary language) words and idioms and little songs because she enjoyed the cartoons so much. Would I pick japanse words and phrases if I watched cartoons as easily as her? Perhaps, if I was as interested and enthralled.
- quattrofan 6y ago
  You can't learn perfect pitch as an adult, lookup the Rick Beato video on this.

DoingIsLearning 6y ago

> consistent practice with a fluent speaker where ones effort is being tested in some way like children I agree with the total time and deliberate practice aspect but in my opinion you are underestimating one extra factor for adult learning. As an adult if you practice a new language with natives (outside the context of a formal lessons) the majority of people will be a lot more accomodating of mistakes and mispronunciation simply because of the social pressure of wanting to 'save face' and not trying to demotivate the person who is learning. There are maybe a handful of close friends who will be brutally honest enough to correct you, in the same way they would correct an infant. For the most part as an adult it is more common that you end up practicing with an 'excessively tolerant' feedback loop from other language natives.

brutt 6y ago
Use app.
wincy 6y ago
I tried being “brutally honest” with an Indian coworker about her English. She started to studiously avoid me, and I realized I’d made a huge misstep following the “golden rule” so to speak. If I learn a new language I want people to constantly correct me. I have another coworker who is Eastern European and she has explicitly told me “point out EVERY mistake I make. Be brutal, I want to learn perfect English.” So I do. It seems like she really is getting less of an accent from it. It’s pretty cool to see. People are nice and don’t point out mistakes because some people don’t want this. It’s taboo on both sides, at least in the corporate US world. So they never learn to speak fluently just enough to get by.

raducu 6y ago

While I agree in principle, there are things that are much harder for adults to learn -- like perfect pitch. Perhaps children are much more immersed into the activity than adults. I recently stopped all cartoons for my 2.5 year old daughter, at the recommendation of her educator and multiple therapists because she only ate when watching cartoons -- but if she ate normally, I wouldn't do so -- she picked up english(not her primary language) words and idioms and little songs because she enjoyed the cartoons so much. Would I pick japanse words and phrases if I watched cartoons as easily as her? Perhaps, if I was as interested and enthralled.

quattrofan 6y ago
You can't learn perfect pitch as an adult, lookup the Rick Beato video on this.