Let’s begin by exploring the benefits available to a child
1.Children are blessed with environmental advantages when learning languages that most adults don’t have.
2. To begin with, young children aren’t formally instructed in language the way adults and older children are. Hence, they learn by being immersed in multilingual environments by passively “absorbing ” the language through contact.
3, However, even when they are formally instructed, it is through games and songs, not verb conjugation and exams that adults are subjected to!
4. Children make better candidates for immersive language learning because they have fewer inhibitions.
5. The standard of language competence is much lower for children than it is for adults.
6. They aren’t judged the way adults are so they don’t receive, or give themselves, as much negative feedback when they make mistakes.
7. They also aren’t tested the way an older child would be, so there is less pressure. The learning process is more playful and natural.
8. Young children are often exposed to language in immersive situations, but they don’t deliberate the merits of their decision.
9. Neither are they aware that they are learning a new language in this manner not they bother knowing how it may serve them later in life.
10. They start from, “this is how I talk to Dad” or “this is how I talk to my classmate”. It’s the pure desire to communicate that drives the learning.
11. It is very interesting to note that other than environmental advantages children are also blessed with cognitive advantage!
12. Babies and very young children form neural connections at a rapid pace. As the brain develops, it becomes more specialized, reinforcing the neural pathways that are regularly used.
13. It is a good thing at the beginning because it enables the brain to be more efficient, however, this same process makes learning new things more challenging as they grow older.
14. That’s why those who learn a language at a very young age can pick the accent of a native speaker effortlessly.
15. It is because of the brain’s elasticity and rapid neural formation that babies and young children are able to learn languages at a faster rate, also sometimes referred to as the “critical period”.
Thus, we can see why, despite as many difficulties posed by Russian, each Russian kid is able to learn Russian to native fluency. The same goes for a non-Russian kid if he/she were to be exposed to the language in young age, they will be able to learn it faster than an adult put into the same situation!
Disadvantages for Adults
1.Adults also learn much faster through immersion, but the cost of immersion is much higher for adults than it is for children. Also, adults don’t have the privilege of abundant time and energy to spend hours in environments that challenge their communication skills, unlike children, who have no responsibilities in life,
2. It’s a proven fact that learning a language is far easier if you aren’t intimidated to make mistakes or sound weird. Adults live under fear of ‘impression’ that makes them extremely anxious and learning super difficult.
3. When adults move to a foreign country only a few will take the opportunity to, consciously initiate language learning to communicate and connect with others depending on their compelling reason.
4. The neural pathways that are in the developing stage in children, firm up as we grow old and force adults to rely on and use the same pathways created ‘once upon a time for mental efficiency.’ This challenges learning rather than being supportive!
