Buzz
Feeling like picking up a new language gets tougher with age isn't just in your head. Research from Boston-based experts, such as experimental psychologist Steven Pinker, reveals that the ability to learn languages begins to drop after 18, according to the BBC.
To achieve native-like fluency, starting before the age of 10 gives you a significant advantage. By analyzing a Facebook-distributed online grammar quiz, researchers concluded that children excel at grasping intricate grammar rules, whereas adult learners often struggle with accents and noticeable grammatical mistakes. Published in the journal Cognition, the study is now expanding to include Spanish and Mandarin speakers.
Nearly 670,000 Facebook users worldwide participated in the online test, making it one of the largest language studies ever, as noted by Scientific American. Participants shared their age, English learning duration, and countries they've lived in for six months or more. Immersion learners outperformed classroom learners in fluency, and the data helped researchers create models predicting the time needed to achieve language mastery.
The reason behind the sharp decline in language-learning ability after 18 remains unclear, but experts suggest it may be linked to the brain's reduced plasticity in adulthood.
That said, don't give up on your Rosetta Stone just yet. Studies indicate that committed adult learners can still achieve proficiency—even fluency. A 2014 study found that learning a new language later in life can delay cognitive decline, and bilingualism has been associated with benefits like delayed dementia onset. However, the Boston researchers emphasize that mastering a language fully can take up to 30 years, so it's wise to begin as soon as possible.
