5 Reasons Why Adults Fair Better Than Kids In Learning Languages
December 8th, 2009Author: maureen
Darren Welder asked:
We hear it all the time, kids are better than adults in learning languages. But is this true? Let us explore the facts…
A typical kid needs 6 or 7 years to learn a language. With effective training, you need 3 or 4. That is 3 to 4 years less.
Your brain is better developed than the one of a 3 years old child. So you have the ability to process information more effectively.
You already have one or more languages in your vocabulary. That is a HUGE advantage. With all this, you are able to associate the words you already know with the existing words that are similar in the language you are learning. For example, if you know English and you are learning German, there are many similar words between those 2 languages. For example, rock in German means skirt. Now, imagine a skirt hanged on a rock. It is a lot easier to remember the word now, isn’t it?
According to many studies, humans are very good in associating things. Just think about it, you associate a color with some cloth, a certain perfume with a certain individual and so on. Why not use this advantage when learning languages?
You can use a lot of additional help; flash cards, private tutors and so on. This is a little advantage for you.
You can discover the method that best suits you to learn any language. Some people remember better by visualization, some by hearing sounds. We are all wired differently and have different attitudes, beliefs and ways of learning. But the root is the same. We belong to the same species, so we must have something similar! Associations I mentioned earlier was only a part of that.
I hope this helped you to realize that you are indeed very capable and not disadvantaged if you are older person. After all, it is not about the age, but about the dedication and persistence. This kind of person always succeeds.
We hear it all the time, kids are better than adults in learning languages. But is this true? Let us explore the facts…
A typical kid needs 6 or 7 years to learn a language. With effective training, you need 3 or 4. That is 3 to 4 years less.
Your brain is better developed than the one of a 3 years old child. So you have the ability to process information more effectively.
You already have one or more languages in your vocabulary. That is a HUGE advantage. With all this, you are able to associate the words you already know with the existing words that are similar in the language you are learning. For example, if you know English and you are learning German, there are many similar words between those 2 languages. For example, rock in German means skirt. Now, imagine a skirt hanged on a rock. It is a lot easier to remember the word now, isn’t it?
According to many studies, humans are very good in associating things. Just think about it, you associate a color with some cloth, a certain perfume with a certain individual and so on. Why not use this advantage when learning languages?
You can use a lot of additional help; flash cards, private tutors and so on. This is a little advantage for you.
You can discover the method that best suits you to learn any language. Some people remember better by visualization, some by hearing sounds. We are all wired differently and have different attitudes, beliefs and ways of learning. But the root is the same. We belong to the same species, so we must have something similar! Associations I mentioned earlier was only a part of that.
I hope this helped you to realize that you are indeed very capable and not disadvantaged if you are older person. After all, it is not about the age, but about the dedication and persistence. This kind of person always succeeds.