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It takes longer, but if you stick with a new language full time eventually you start to think and dream in it. Also, don't adults can stay ahead of the language
by onemoreact 15y ago
It takes longer, but if you stick with a new language full time eventually you start to think and dream in it. Also, don't adults can stay ahead of the language curve at the start, baby's often take 3 years to say the first few words but adults can become fairly fluent in 6 months. I suspect the real problem with leaning something latter in life is not that it takes slightly more time time, but you have less free time to learn.
- Cushman 15y agoI think you're mistaking "native fluency" for just fluency, which is probably my fault. Of course adults can become fluent in new languages relatively easily with full immersion, but the simplest things for native speakers can be the hardest to acquire. For example, before a baby can talk, they will babble in the intonation of their native language-- it's the first thing they learn. It's also the last thing a non-native speaker picks up, happening well after they've acquired full fluency, or indeed never in many cases. Now it may be that's more about our techniques for second-language acquisition than brain structure differences, but it's sure interesting, innit?