It’s never too late to learn a foreign language. Contrary to what many experts say, the perfect age for learning a language is not necessarily in childhood. Adults have countless transferable skills which they have picked up throughout their life and which are key to learning a foreign language quickly. In this article I will outline some of the advantages of learning a language as an adult.
Advantages of learning languages as an adult
1. Acquiring vocabulary is easier for adults
According to Alberto Costa, professor of Neuroscience at the Pampeo Fabra University in Barcelona, adults acquire a far more extensive vocabulary when learning a language than younger people. This means you are able to acquire a vocabulary similar to that of a native speaker of the language you wish to learn.
Learning vocabulary can also be simpler as an adult as the new words learned can be more easily related to your acquired knowledge. You can also use shortcuts to memorize vocabulary based on the experiences you have had throughout your life. This means you can relate new vocabulary to memorable episodes so that they can remain in your long-term memory.
However, it’s very likely that you’ll have to make a bit more of an effort with your accent, as a language’s phonemes and sounds are learned naturally during childhood. But remember, accent is not an indicator of your skill level in a language. What’s important is having a correct pronunciation of a language, rather than speaking with an accent. If you’re interested in improving your pronunciation, classes at Hablea are ideal as you have the opportunity of speaking with a language teacher by Skype from the comfort of your home, or in Medellín, who will give you constant feedback.
2. Your brain’s health will improve considerably
Learning a foreign language is beneficial for your brain. As we grow old, we experience a decline in cognitive functions, such as “attention and memory”, and in some people the acceleration of this process can end in the development of Alzheimer’s. However, a great number of scientific studies suggest that learning a foreign language can delay the development of dementia by an average of four to five years.
This is because learning and using a foreign language helps to improve the executive brain functions, which are a series of mental processes which allow us to vary our thoughts and behaviour from one moment to another, depending on the next task to be carried out. So when we speak another language, our brain continually carries out various tasks at once, processing ideas from one language to another.
3. Adults are generally more motivated than young people or children
Adults are usually more motivated than children when it comes to learning languages You’re probably thinking of learning a language for personal reasons, such as getting to know people from other cultures, for traveling or to appreciate the art and literature of another country. As opposed to children and teenagers who learn another language because it’s part of their academic curriculum, you want to do it for fun and not because you have to. As a result, you will always be motivated, which is key to learning quickly and efficiently.
It’s always important to remember the motivation behind learning a language, especially when you feel that you’re not managing to advance as much as you’d like. I recommend you therefore to focus on what you’ve achieved up to now and always remain with an “I can do it” attitude.
I hope you’ve found these advantages of learning a language as an adult interesting and remember: there’s no age limit to learning languages!