Why is it easier to learn languages when we are young?

Question from Hannah King

According to recent research, the best time to start learning a language is before the age of ten. There are three reasons for this. 

First, children have more time to learn. Second, the grammar of the first language you learn affects the way you learn other languages. Third, the brain trims connections as we age, making learning easier when we’re young.


Answered by Laura Mears for Brain Dump in How It Works issue 120.

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