quote: | Originally posted by Vector A
Yeah, you can still learn stuff for sure. But the generally accepted idea seems to be that if you start learning a second language later than your teens you will always kind of suck at it. |
i disagree. how do you think so many people who are multilingual (as in, 3 or more languages) or are professional translators, actors, or, i dunno, MI:6 spies become so fluent in so many languages? i doubt too many of them had the opportunity to learn french spanish english and german all at once during their pre-k to middle school years.. i think it's maybe about your motivation and drive has different meaning and priorities as an adult than as a kid. as a kid you've got all the time in the world to really crack the books, as an adult you have responsibilities, typically, that keep you from being able to devote too much of your time to learning whatever.
really, imo, once you learn the syntax of a language, how you become fluent is by memorizing vocabulary. that tends to fade if you don't use it often in real-world situations (or in class interacting with others).
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