Why Is It Easier For Children To Learn A Second Language Than Adults?

Introduction

It can be challenging raising a multi-lingual child; however, the rewards for learning a second language at an initial stage are indeed beneficial and outweigh the struggle. Bilingual children acquire information quicker and easier and have better challenge-resolving abilities and originality. Hence more career opening as they mature. Also, children find it easier to relate to foreign cultures, making them open to change and tolerant of diversity. Children mature and grow at astonishing paces; however, the rate at which they can learn and acquire information is higher due to mental clarity (Hartshorne et al. 2018). A child who interacts with more than two languages is more likely to easily absorb and memorize details on other subject matter much easier. According to several reports, children are likely to acquire more information due to their higher brain plasticity, brain chemistry immersive environment, and lack of pressure from external environmental forces.

 Reasons

 Children are more likely to learn a second language than their counterparts, adult, due to numerous reasons (Dummitt, 2019). For a child, learning, in general, is key in their brain biochemistry. A child's brain is designed to absorb numerous forms of material- this occurs within an unconscious mind state, implying that they are learning without even knowing it. On the other hand, adults have to consciously acquire information, making it harder to store most of the information flowing through the mind. In order to easily comprehend how a child can learn a second language, one has to compare the learning process of listening to music. When one listens to music more than once, the lyrics easily flow into the brain without much effort. The unconscious learning process enables the young child to acquire a second language and expand their brain capacity, hence easily conforming to different situations and status. Nevertheless, adults rely on learning through conscious mechanisms (Zhang, & Hudson, 2018). For example, when an adult or student is studying for an examination, some details are absorbed. In contrast, others are forgotten, which is because an adult deliberately puts in effort tin acquire knowledge. At the end of the day, the best way to easily acquire information is through unconscious means.

 Learning languages is simple and straightforward to a child because the child is not exposed to complex details hence can interpret and digest language with ease (Suryantari, 2018). When one learns at the initial stages of life, the only way of creating logic is associating words with their inferred implication. On the other hand, adults have to ensure that they learn all the information entailing the subject matter before creating sense out of a certain subject matter, making it difficult to learn a second language. An alternative underlying reason that makes children easily learn an additional language is their pronounced nature of self-consciousness. Children are not aware of any shame and can turn their mistakes into lessons. A child can easily make a mistake and learn from it due to their character's numb nature. Thus, self-consciousness assists children to acquire more information and also refine what they already know. Even though the evidence shared above is mainly supportive, adults can easily adopt a child's character to acquire linguistics knowledge (Iriani, 2018). More so, humans are not able to rewire their brains into effortlessly absorbing numerous amounts of information.

 It is vital to note that all schools apply similar teaching mechanisms. However, there is no standard manner of learning. Brains differ from each other hence unique to each other. This explains the reason children learn skills faster than their counterpart adults (Saito et al., 2020). According to the experts, as humans get old, they find it hard to acquire new skills. In case an adult wants to further his or her studies, the best way is to learn to acquire information at the same rate as children do. Naturally, children are designed to learn and acquire various skills until they attain a certain age bracket. Schools provide children with controlled spaces where they can learn without external interference from outside. More so, a school provides children with a social surrounding where they can learn to interact with fellow peers. Even though older people direct children, children are centered on shaping their environment into something they can interpret and manipulate into their own young world. Also, an adult can vary from a child due to how he or she executes the new skill, and the underlying intention for choosing the skill might be different from that of a child. Generally, adults actively participate in their choices hence determine the impact of choice on their lives. For instance, an adult who decides to learn a new language will also want to publish books or write in the same language. Hence, an adult is already equipped with the values and experiences to attain certain objectives. Additionally, an adult selectively learns based on certain goals and subject matter aligned to his or her life. For example, an adult can allow or resist depending on his or her professional goals. The chance to specifically choose subject matter and purposefully apply the knowledge based on one’s needs is the main reason adults find it hard to learn a second language or acquire a new skill. One of the most crucial factors that enable children to learn a second language at a fast rate is plenty of time to acquire and perfect the information received (de Wit et al., 2018). A child is not tied to any obligations and has the whole day to focus on one objective, learn a second language, or even play a musical instrument. Besides, adults fear embarrassing themselves hence cannot just go out of their way to learn a new language. Subsequently, children tend to select the information that might help them learn better and faster than adults. For example, as a child learns, when he or she finds a new term, they concentrate on that particular term until or she gets it right. Therefore, children end up learning more than an adult would ever learn. The chance to come up with new creative ideas relies on how well one can convert the information received into more useful material that can directly benefit the individual. Thus one can say that the perception and timing of learning influence how the children can make information useful and relevant in terms of long term use.

According to early childhood psychiatry reports, a language learned in childhood years, before a child reaches 3 years old, is the first language (Kuklewicz, & King, 2018). The first language can be referred to as mother tongue or key linguistics. The second language is normally acquired through schooling, work, and other things people engage in daily. The second language is usually societal or even might be official. Nevertheless, a second language is usually acquired after acquiring the native language, hence explaining why children easily find it to learn ad respond to a second language much easier than adults (van Daal, & Wass, 2017). Compared to other learning mechanisms, the rate at which adults acquire a second language is slower.

Aspects of Cognitive Levels between an Adult and a Child

 Some scientists believe that adults can learn a second language faster because they have a fully developed cognitive capability than children. Hence adults can easily analyze rational details and self-monitor themselves (Colliander, 2018). On the other hand, some scientists claim that an adult finds it hard to learn a second language due to numerous underlying and undefined factors. Children are usually considered successful in linguistics acquisition as they can learn their native language from an informal surrounding. Thus it would be meaningful to compare an adult’s ability to learn a second language from a child’s native language attainment. The process through which an adult can acquire a second language is complex compared to that of a child. As stated earlier, a child does not have numerous distractions; hence is fully able to concentrate on the tasks at hand. Some of the theories used to explain and discuss why adults find acquiring a second language difficult are behaviorism, cognitive theory, and interlanguage. According to the cognitive theory, adults’ ability to learn a second language is dependent on conscious learning mechanisms. This way, an adult’s capability to acquire a new language via a conscious mechanism enables them to separate right from wrong hence an important phase in the learning process. Some scholars claim that for an adult to learn and acquire a second language successfully, the input should be equal to the output. More so, adult emotions are vital in the acquisition of a second language among adults. Comprehensive output means that an adult can learn based on experience and interest. Also, language input is crucial if an adult is to acquire a second language. In order to learn a second language and then speak it fluently, adults need to have more interaction with numerous texts with an understandable output. Also, generating comprehensive output might help adult learners faster and intentionally than children. Firstly, linguistic output helps one to note the gap between experienced knowledge and the newly acquired pieces of information (Gass, & Glew, 2018). More so, language input is highly critical in the acquisition of a second language. To achieve accuracy and fluency, adult learners tend to contact comprehensible materials so that they can familiarize themselves with terms and other functionalities about a certain language. Furthermore, experts believe that language output is the internalization of linguistic details, which is the functionality of language learning.

 The only reason why some experts think that adults learn faster than children is adult objectivity and rationality levels hence heightening their evaluation capabilities, unlike children who are dependent on unconscious means of acquiring information (Elgort et al., 2018). Researches on this particular topic highlighted that learning takes time; children have all the time they need to fully grasp the terms and functionalities of a second language than adults. Timing and placement of personal assistance issues come into play whenever second language acquisition is compared between children and adults. A child gets all the help they need to accomplish tasks while adults are dependent on their own effort, making it harder for them to learn faster. The children's attention is greater and cannot be factored out in influencing the final result of second language acquisition. Moreover, an adult's structured nature and improved capability to think and apply concepts might be greater. Piaget, a well-known psychologist, claimed that children aged 2-7 years old have pre-operational brain power hence rely on intuition and perceptive static hence implying that children lack proper conversion mechanisms that can turn information into useful and functional capabilities. In the concrete, operational phase (7-11 years), children can easily learn a second language without much struggle due to reduced static perception. In the formal operational period, which is the final stage in cognitive development, the thinking capacity is multifaceted and fully developed to handle more than one task. Even though adults have the advantage of having a fully developed, children have the option of fully gaining control of their own brain due to the higher absorbing power. An adult's thinking capacity is upgraded due to their linguistic consciousness (Kushch et al., 2018). An adult's development increases their cognitive capability, leading to robust brainpower to evaluate and conclude, offering benefits in grammar regulations and sentence countenance, and hence permitting adults to handle multifaceted challenges. More so, an adult has experiences and also a wider comprehensive outlook on numerous other issues. On the other hand, while comparing adults to children, adults lose their innate ability to learn a second language as they grow older. This gives children an advantage over adults. They can easily absorb information without any hindrance because their cognitive brain is still developing, hence sensitive to any information on their brains. Another reason children acquire or learn a second language faster is that they do not use plenty of energy and time to learn the concepts of the language.

The Age Factor

 Studies have unveiled a connection between age and the ability to learn a second language. Age is key in constructing a second language. As children acquire the first or native language, they can also be trained to acquire another language before they are 11 years old. According to expert opinion, children learn and acquire the first language before they are 11 years old. After puberty, it is hard learning a second language because the first ten years are critical for learning the first and second language (Bridget, 2019). Constant exposure to language enables a child to acquire fluency in language due to familiarity with the language. Additionally, age determines cognitive capabilities and emotions; hence age impacts how effective one learns a second language. The brain’s plasticity permits children to learn a second language just before the adolescent period easily. However, as the child develops and the generation of partial sides, adults decrease their physiological capabilities to learn a second language. Therefore, an adult second language has to be acquired through a procedural manner from one phase to another hence building up concepts in a natural learning mechanism. Besides, the researches demonstrate that second languages are directly inclined to the age. Most young people can speak more than two languages, proving that young children effectively learn a second language before reaching the puberty stage (Rothman, & Slabakova, 2018). For instance, in China, adults aged 45 years and above cannot speak English, and children aged 10 years and below. Also, during puberty, learning a second language does not come naturally; hence, it can only be learned through consciousness and relentless effort.

The Environmental Aspect

 There are particular categories of environmental stimuli that facilitate learning a second language. Children interact with their native language from birth hence accustomed to the words and fluency of the language. Later, learning a native language comes naturally to children. In other words, the surrounding plays a major role in the acquisition of a second language (Rothman, & Slabakova, 2018). A child's learning capability is inherent; however, language comes from interaction and certain language practice. Based on comparison theory, even though a child’s cognitive capability is low, they can utilize the native language to build up into the second language. Nevertheless, learning a second language within the confines of classrooms requires simulated discourse and focusing on design rather than the context. The environment under which children learn their native language is normally unconscious and pleasant. Children usually acquire their first language from the caregiver or mother; hence the learning mechanism is seamless and complete. More so, in an authentic communication surrounding, children master the native language and create their own talkative capability (Iriani, 2018). However, children have to overcome a ton of hurdles before they can fully grasp a second language's intricacies, hence the need to learn a second language at the initial stages of their developmental years.

 Past research theorized that a second language could only be learned in initial periods of one’s life, from infancy to adolescence. In its fundamental stages of learning, this critical period impacts learning both the first and second languages. However, comprehending the initial stage period's underlying nature is important in coming up with ways of extending this period so that adults can get the benefit of learning a second language in more than one way. Children are rarely burdened with obligations and stressful situations, and this makes their thinking clarity sharper. For instance, it has few responsibilities, which gives a higher chance of learning and practice more than an adult. More so, whenever children learn something new, they are happy to apply it in their lives; in the process, they end up easily cementing the knowledge in their lives. Children allow them to apply the knowledge they learned without much effort repeatedly. Thus, the common belief that children can learn a second language faster than adults proves to be true due to the verified pieces of information. In summary, children can learn a second language between infancy and adolescent period because at this time their brain power is sharper enough to interpret and convert information into useful details.

  As seen above, science and investigation prove that children can learn a second language faster than adults. Mostly, there are still numerous underlying questions that need to be answered so that people can get the whole picture. For instance, the underlying reasons which trigger children to learn at a faster rate than adults. Some of the reasons pushed forward and approved so far are brain biochemistry, immediate surroundings, or an amalgamation of both factors (Hartshorne et al. 2018). More so, if adults can adapt to the same learning mechanisms, they might have to change some of their habits. An emerging trend that can be verified with time is the surrounding under which the children acquire the second language. Whenever learning, children stick to one environment, and they always do as they were told hence acquire more information than adults. The learning process in an absorbed surrounding facilitated the learning of a second language. Therefore, an absorbed environment enables children to unconsciously take in information for brain processing through the interaction with the subject matter. When officially coached through games and rhymes, children can easily pick up the subject matter and quickly integrate it into their brain for application. Factually, adults can also acquire information faster when they are through immersion learning mechanisms, but adults have to pay a higher price for immersion learning mechanisms (Hartshorne et al. 2018). Children have little to no obligation in life; thus, their energy and focus is dedicated to learning and bettering their skills. However, most adults do not have the luxury to sit all day and learn a second language. More so, children are better suited for immersive learning mechanisms because they cannot be easily inhibited. Nothing can stop a child from making mistakes and sounding stupid. In the process of repeatedly making mistakes, children grasp the content and then perfect it. Adults cannot learn through mistakes; they either be shy or anxious to make similar mistakes. The older one gets, the higher the pressure from various platforms. For the sake of acquiring knowledge and balancing other aspects of life, adults rarely get the chance to learn a second language perfectly. More so, an adult can only see the need to learn another language if it is aligned with their career. Children's learning mechanisms are playful and innate. There is no motivation to learn another language in an adult's context unless they move into another nation where they are forced to learn a new language (Elgort et al., 2018). Most of the time, an adult connects to people who speak the same language as them. However, very few adults are ready to put themselves in a situation that forces them to learn a new language without the need to do so. It is also vital to note that an adult controls a child's actions; hence, children have no choice over their actions. In the presence of a knowledgeable adult, a child can acquire information at a higher rate due to the controlled environment under which they learn.

 In summary, a child learns faster than an adult. The obvious reason is the absorbent nature of their brain hence the ability to quickly take in more information at a higher rate than adults. Adults have more obligations than children, and this affects their time and energy. To give in to the moment and to entertain more information, children are good at naturally giving into the people's basic needs. Also, a child's brainpower can absorb more information from the basic subconscious level. On the other hand an adult cognitive ability is fully developed but it take more energy and hard work to absorb more information. The capacity to ensure that he or she applies information from past experiences to cater to the learnings mechanisms of another language. Most of the times, the challenges lies in the inability to control the external environment because an adult is always learning something and this makes it hard to balance more than one linguistic. A child gets more attention from adults and can unconsciously learn another language without much effort.

 

 

Reference

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