learning a new skill get harder when old

does learning a new skill get harder as you age

1. Does learning a new LANGUAGE get harder as we age? Maida

2. Key terms plasticity-the brain’s ability to change and adapt in reaction to the environment and through experience Functional recovery-following trauma, the brain adapts and changes. Healthy areas of the brain take over the parts that are damaged , destroyed or missing Pruning-the process by which synapses are eliminated

3. Perspective 1(it is easier to learn as a child)- evidence one of the largest linguistics studies ever conducted was a viral internet survey drew two thirds of a million respondents who were researchers from three Boston-based universities showed children are proficient at learning a second language up until the age of 18, roughly 10 years later than earlier estimates. the study also showed that it is best to start by age 10 if you want to achieve the grammatical fluency of a native speaker.

4. EXPLANATION They created a short online grammar quiz called ‘Which English ?’ that tested noun–verb agreement, pronouns, prepositions and relative clauses, among other linguistic elements. Based on people’s grammar scores and information about their learning of English, the researchers developed models that predicted how long it takes to become fluent in a language and the best age to start learning. They concluded that the ability to learn a new language, at least grammatically, is strongest until the age of 18 after which there is a precipitous decline. To become completely fluent, however, learning should start before the age of 10.

5. WHY IS IT EASIER TO LEARN A LANGHUAGE WHEN YOU ARE YOUNGER? In early development in very young infants, most of the language learning happens spontaneously, through passive listening. Across development, two learning systems are involved in language acquisition: an implicit (unconscious) and an explicit (conscious) memory. Children learn language through the unconscious system. Conscious memory develops strongly from adolescence, which is why language learning becomes more difficult from over 12 years old

6. What are the main differences between adults and children in learning new language rules? research shows that children outclass adults in their ability to unconsciously learn new languages through passive exposure without awareness as to what they are learning. However adults outperform children in their ability to learn under awareness but learning new language rules with full attention can lead to forgetting them and interfere with prior knowledge . EG: adults often tend to translate from their first language when they are learning a new language. They try to adopt the linguistic rules that they already know, which sometimes contradict the new ones. This results in a less stable consolidation of the new language into memory . Moreover, we noticed that children unconsciously implement the new language rules and use newly acquired words in their daily life – while playing imaginary games or when communicating with peers. In other words, they repeat themselves unconsciously with the new information, which benefits long-term memory consolidation.

7. Child VS ADULT

8. HOW DOES LANGUAGE LEARNING WORK? (CHILDREN) CHILDREN - We can think of their brain using the “use it or lose it” principle. In combination with the masses of statistical data they gather, children employ social language learning strategies to truly master their mother tongue. universal linguistic truth: no child will ever learn a language without human interaction . Brain plasticity perspective- children have more connections between neurons. New connections can form and the internal structure of the existing synapses can change which is why pre -puberty children have remarkable brain plasticity

9. HOW DOES LANGUAGE LEARNING WORK ? (ADULT) ADULTS -Babies aren’t afraid to make mistakes. Adults, on the other hand, are particularly susceptible to shame and embarrassment. We’re afraid of looking stupid in front of others, so we protect ourselves by using a new language too conservatively Different perspective : how adults and children learn language is really the same. We observe native speakers, identify patterns in the language (statistical learning) and then we test those patterns by interacting with other people, using their feedback to correct and better UNDERSTAND the patterns we’ve deduced (social learning).

10. WHY IS IT HARDER TO LEARN LANGUAGES WHEN WE AGE? Scientists have noted a dramatic drop in the ability to learn a new language after people turn 18. This is attributed to a number of factors. First, by the time teenagers turn 18, most have graduated high school, and they don’t have the daily, structured classroom environment to learn a language every day, THEY HAVE JOBS= NO TIME more responsibilities even if they’re in university Second , some scientists believe that, by that point in your life, your mastery over one language can interfere with learning a second. Finally , it’s possible that physical changes in your brain after 18( BRAIN STOPPING DEVELOPMENT) may make learning somewhat more of a challenge.

11. PERSPECTIVE 2(it’s the same learning a language when you are a child and when you are an adult) - EVIDENCE "This is not necessarily a fact. If you set your mind to learning a new language as an adult, there is no reason why you can't be extremely proficient," Dr Ahmar Mahoob , Senior Lecturer in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Sydney, told the Huffington Post Australia . His perspective is :If you are consistent ,not afraid of making mistakes (speaking openly) and spend time ever day learning a language then there is no reason why it should be harder than learning as a child

12. PERSPECTIVE 2 EXPLANATION Most adults have a hard time learning a language due to their many responsibilities and no free time leading them to neglect the language learning process and therefore extending the short period of time it should take His perspective: the idea of children learning easier is actually a myth and if you are truly consistent and confident to speak with natives in order to learn and improve then you will most definitely succeed

13. Neuroplasticity and language learning Plasticity is the capacity of the brain to change with learning. Changes associated with learning occur mostly at the level of the connections between neurons. New connections can form and the internal structure of the existing synapses can change which is what happens when learning a language This ability has traditionally been associated with the remarkable brain plasticity in pre-puberty childhood. However Recent studies have suggested that the language-learning brain is plastic not just in childhood but across the lifespan, which enables even older adults to learn a second language with success.

14. THANK YOU