Oct 6, 20234 min read

New study contradicts idea that young children learn language best

We've all heard the claims that younger children learn new languages better and faster than adults. But is it true?

Recent research from MIT challenges this once widely accepted claim. Let's dive in to learn where the original idea came from, why it's being challenged now, and where future studies could take us.

Do Young Children Learn Language Better?

After reviewing eighty years of studies on language acquisition, researchers in 2017 found that we can no longer accept the notion that young kids learn new languages better and faster than older people.

The 2017 study found that most studies that became the basis of the 'young kids learn language best' ideas were flawed because they never appropriately defined what strong language acquisition looked like nor addressed the numerous other studies that found opposite results.

This review of past research tells us that there is definitely room for new research to better explain the relationship between age and language acquisition.

What's the Difference Between Being Fluent and Being Bilingual?

Let's take a quick minute to discuss the difference between being fluent and being bilingual. This important distinction is often left out of research studies, blurring their results and making them difficult to compare.

People who speak a language fluently but are not bilingual might pause to remember a word or grammatical rule. A bilingual person will not need to do this, as the language is second nature to them.

Brainscape offers an example to illustrate this difference. Take the sentence: There is less snow in Florida than New York. A fluent speaker might need to consider whether they should use the word "fewer" instead of 'less,' making the sentence: 'There is fewer snow in Florida than New York.' A fluent speaker might ultimately get the sentence correct, but a bilingual person would never have to question it in the first place.

What Does New Research Say About Age And Language Learning?

A 2018 MIT study threw everything we previously understood about age and language acquisition into question by finding that the optimal age for learning a new language extends until age 17, much later than was previously thought.

Additionally, this study found that it takes approximately thirty years to master a new language, meaning that previous assumptions that young children were mastering unfamiliar languages might be inaccurate.

Where Will the Research Go Next?

The MIT findings have been met with acceptance, skepticism, and confusion.

Some researchers have welcomed the results, pointing to the flawed and conflicting nature of earlier studies and the many factors that make older people better language learners, such as advanced literacy and attention spans.

Others have denied the findings, identifying flaws in the MIT research method of using a viral online survey, as well as the improbability of it taking thirty years to learn a new language.

Still others are simply echoing the call for additional research. While MIT's research significantly contributes to our understanding of language acquisition, it is just one study focusing on only one language (English).

We are likely to see more information emerge over the next decade on this topic. We'll all have to stay tuned to learn more as researchers seek stronger conclusions.

What Do We Know About The Best Age To Learn A New Language?

While researchers work to determine the specifics of age's relationship to language acquisition, a few accepted conclusions have already emerged.

Whether it's before age 10 or 17, you are more likely to pick up a new language if you learn it younger. However, that doesn't mean adults cannot also achieve fluency.
Toddlers and young children have a better ability to imitate sounds, making them more likely to achieve a more native-sounding accent in a new language.
Toddlers and young children are less likely to be self-conscious about practicing their new words and sounds, contributing to their ability to learn a new language.
Immersion in a new language is a more effective way to learn than in a classroom setting. The more immersed you become in the language, the faster and more effectively you learn it.
Adults have longer attention spans and a deeper understanding of literacy and grammar in general, which assists them in learning new languages. Some research also suggests that adults are more likely than young children to apply grammatical rules and norms to new situations accurately.

Suggestions for Further Reading

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