Today, the importance of a second language has become a vital necessity for both children and adults in many areas. Some of these areas include work, school, or even travel.

For a long time, a popular myth has been spread that states that when it comes to learning a second language, children are much better at it than adults. However, this is a misconception because children are not necessarily better than adults, rather they have different learning methods. Similarly, interest in learning a new language at an early age is easier for you than when you are older.

A characteristic that we can highlight of learning a second language in adulthood is that, although they study it, they are not considered bilingual since they have not learned it in the period they were supposed to and only use it as a means of communication, not as a language learned from birth.

Other differences we see between adults and children learning languages are:

1. Differences in brain processing

The way an adult processes learning a second language is different from the way a child’s brain does.

In 2018, Dr. Paul Thompson at UCLA (University of California in Los Angeles) conducted a study to see what part of the brain children and adults used. He observed that children use a part of the brain known as the "deep motor area", an area of the brain that acts unconsciously. Thus, learning a second language is first nature, like getting dressed or showering. On the other hand, adults are able to process languages further, as mentioned above that they use a more active part of the brain.

2. Pronunciation

One of the reasons why the myth of children being able to learn a second language is still going strong is pronunciation. Children have an easier time perfecting the pronunciation of the new language they are learning. On the other hand, adults tend to find it more difficult when it comes to pronunciation. However, pronunciation does not play a big part in adults learning a language. Adults prioritize being able to hold a conversation with speakers of the language they are learning.

3. Grammar and vocabulary

Although children outperform adults in various aspects of learning a second language, grammar and vocabulary tend to be a struggle. Adults far outnumber children in grammar and short-term vocabulary. In the long-term, it is children who outperform both adults and adolescents as they are exposed to a foreign language for longer.

Children in the short-term are not capable of retaining as much information as adults are, so it is more time-consuming and complicated for them.

4. Reading in a foreign language

If you have acquired a knowledge of your mother tongue, it will be easier for you to adapt and understand a second language. That is, if it is easy to read in your mother tongue, it should also be easier to read in a second language. This only happens in adults, since they are able to take the knowledge they already have and apply it when learning a second language.

Both in grammar, vocabulary and reading are differences in which the adult dominates over the child.

5. Learning methods

In both adults and children, there are differences when learning a second language, they learn differently, use different parts of the brain, etc., therefore they will need different learning methods for each one.

For children to easily learn a second language, it would be beneficial to practice it not only at school, but also at home, through books, stories, songs, movies, etc. This dynamic method of learning is more effective and will allow children to adopt the language entirely.

On the other hand, adults need more complex methods for their learning such as grammar or vocabulary books, going to a language school, or using a native teacher.

Final thoughts

Both young children and adults can learn a second language. The misconception that adults cannot learn a second language at their age must be broken, because as noted above, the only difference is which part of the brain is used for learning a new language and thus the approach for learning, not their ability to learn a new language:

• To learn a new language is something natural for children, as the basis of their language is not settled yet

• On the other hand, what happens in adults is that they already have an established base, so it is more difficult for them to learn it. Despite this, adults are better at grammar and vocabulary than children.

It is always important to note that the difficulty of learning a second language will always vary from person to person, or in this case from child to adult.