{"id":220,"date":"2020-11-17T18:30:24","date_gmt":"2020-11-17T18:30:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/?p=220"},"modified":"2020-11-18T15:26:19","modified_gmt":"2020-11-18T15:26:19","slug":"why-youre-never-too-old-to-learn-a-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/study\/why-youre-never-too-old-to-learn-a-language\/","title":{"rendered":"Why You're Never Too Old To Learn a Language"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cI\u2019m too old to learn a new language.\u201d
\u201cYou can\u2019t teach an old dog new tricks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ve probably heard some variation of these statements before. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But how true are they? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Experts Say<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First, we\u2019ll need to turn to the concept of \u201cneuroplasticity,\u201d which refers to your brain\u2019s ability to change itself in response to new experiences (e.g. help you learn).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because neuroplasticity decreases with age, the brain gets worse at changing itself. This is what makes it harder for us to remember new things as we get older.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, this doesn\u2019t mean our brain stops changing altogether. In fact, scientists point out that our brains continue to change dynamically everyday, even as adults<\/a>! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, we need to keep in mind that memory isn\u2019t all there is to language learning. For example, polyglot Steve Kaufmann argues that he learns better with age<\/a>, partly because the older he is, the better he understands himself and how he learns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers in the field also often point out that adults already have another language<\/a> under their belt, which helps them learn faster. <\/p>\n\n\n\n