Learning English is definitely one of the most profitable investments in the future. Nowadays, many companies and universities make it a prerequisite to have a good command of English. However, there are some limitations that make it more difficult to learn English, such as age.
Is it true that it is more difficult for us to learn a language when we are older?
Actually, there is no age limit for learning a language such as English because, as the saying goes, there is no such thing as too old to learn. As long as you have the will and the discipline to learn, you can do it.
However, there are facts that cannot be denied, and that is that it is much easier for children to learn a new language than it is for older people. Some say that this is because children are like sponges, but in reality, there are solid explanations for this.
What does science say?
To understand why it is more difficult for us to learn English, it is important to know a term called ”brain plasticity”. This term, also defined as neural plasticity by other authors, refers to the brain’s ability to adapt to circumstances and, above all, to age.
This is, of course, contrasted with a term called ‘brain elasticity’, which is defined as the ability to establish knowledge and content in the brain in a fixed and permanent way. Thus, learning is pigeonholed between plasticity and elasticity.
In that sense, older people have less capacity for neural stability, because with cognitive decline, the neurons of an older brain tend to sustain resistance to the brain’s initiative to adapt.
This can be easily described by recognising that older people have more difficulty letting go of concepts grounded in years of experience. And, therefore, they find it harder to learn English.
What makes children learn faster?
While it is true that it is harder for adults to learn English, it is much easier for children. In fact, this is because children have greater brain plasticity, as their neurons are still establishing neural connections.
Moreover, it is not only that children can learn faster, but also that they learn better, because the first learning is never forgotten.
Even if, with the passage of time, learning can be modified and beliefs that were learned incorrectly can be improved, the brain will never forget the first contact with certain concepts.
For this reason, it is best to start learning English at an early stage, in order to be more certain that children will learn correctly.
So… adults can’t learn?
While it is true that it is more difficult for adults to learn English, it is not impossible. If you have heard someone say that adults can no longer learn English, you should know that this is a myth and has no validity whatsoever.
It is true that there may be greater barriers to learning the language properly. However, it is entirely possible. Any adult who sets out to learn English and has the right academic coaching can achieve their goals quickly and consolidate them on a cerebral level.
This, of course, applies to any language, not just English. But, you should know that studies suggest that adults may find it harder to learn English depending on what their native language is.
For example, if an adult native speaker of Mandarin decides to learn English, he or she may find it a little more difficult than a native speaker of Spanish. This is because it is much easier to learn languages whose sounds and letters are similar to those of our native language.
What does it take to learn English?
Although it is more difficult for us to learn English when we grow up, what you need to master the language perfectly is discipline and motivation. In relation to the latter category, you should know that when you lose motivation to achieve a goal, it will be more difficult to achieve it.
Therefore, the infallible formula for learning English correctly is to have the advice of a personalised teacher or an English language academy, as well as the motivation and determination to succeed.
