There is no specific ageement about the most convenient age to learn a foreign language. Some recommend the early years of the primary school while others prefer the fourth or fifth grade.
According to Scovel (1988), learners who start to learn a second language later than, say, age 12, will never be able "to pass themselves off as native speakers and will end up easily identified as nonnative speakers of that language" (p. 185). This indicates that the age below 12 is most suitable for second/foreign language learning.
Reference: Scovel, T. (2000). A critical review of the critical period research. Annual review of applied linguistics, 20, 213-223.
I think more than teen years ,this age is suitable to learn a foreign language.
According to Scovel (1988), learners who start to learn a second language later than, say, age 12, will never be able "to pass themselves off as native speakers and will end up easily identified as nonnative speakers of that language" (p. 185). This indicates that the age below 12 is most suitable for second/foreign language learning.
Reference: Scovel, T. (2000). A critical review of the critical period research. Annual review of applied linguistics, 20, 213-223.
Thank you very much, Abdullah for this interesting information. Best regards. Hazim.
Early childhood is the best age to learn any language. However, it can be learned at any stage, conditionally one must be mentally prepared for the same.
For learning any language, the most suitable age is the early childhood! I think to start learning English after the third year is the best though language learning is possible to take place at any age.
I agree with Dr Mahesh "early childhood is the best age to grasp any language."
there are different views by Linguist that from 3 to 5 is best period for language learning while some say before teen age some of the opinion before 30 and some of the say that it depends upon the personality which helps to learn language rapidly.
I totally agree with Emad Kamil Hussein, and base on my personal experience I could say that this is the best way of being multi-lingual.
From a personal point of view, no learning begins or stops at a certain age
I have occasionally taught ESOL, English for those recently or newly arrived in English speaking countries, and certainly some find it impossible to grasp, certainly if around 40. Clearly, others have intrinsic gifts at learning other languages, but being exposed to more than one language when young-in households where more than one language is spoken-increases later facility for language-learning. The cut off age is assumed to be 7, from my recollection, but interestingly I can still remember quite a bit of French taught to me in primary school (5-10 years).
Thank you very much, dear colleagues for the excellent information you shared about the most convenient age to study a foreign language. There is a principle of learning: ( the younger you are the easier it seems to learn a foreign language). Best regards to all of you. Hazim.
I Agree with this answer ”no learning begins or stops at a certain age”.
Thanks
In childhood you can learn any languages without any extra effort. Afterwards you have to put an effort for learning new language. There is no limit for learning new things in the world.
The age below 12 is most suitable for second/foreign language learning.
The child period. It's May differ for one of the other but it's between 4 and 6.
In my opinion, learning a foreign language between 15 and 35 years old may lead to the best outcome.
It is often suggested that critical period is a determinant factor in language acquisition. There are two basic reasons for this. First, the corpus collusum, connecting the two brain hemispheres, is flexible enough to allow for exploiting the full potential of the brain. Second, Language ego has not been formed yet and the learner has no problem adjusting himself/herself with the peculiarities of the foreign language (See Lenneberg , 1967 & Guiora ,1972).
As early as possible, though it can be learnt at any age with persistence and determination
at any time if someone have energy to do... but most favt time is young age
When you have someone to listen and talk to consistently.
Dennis
Dennis Mazur
There is very recent research, based on how our brain develops, that show how early years are the best to learn new languages to be acquired in a similar way than native language. As Abdullah Noori mentioned in a previous message, 12 years old would be the last stages in order to do so.
It is interesting to mention that previous theories on this subject posed exactly the opposite, however the evidences that now we are able to see, since there are means to conduct observation on how the brain works and develops is fascinating and concluding on it.
If you don't want to have a noticeable accent, then less than 10 years.
Thank you very much, Luz Godina for your excellent answer. Best regards. Hazim.
Thank you, Marwa for your answer. I don't know if my son in law who was only 5 years old when he started studying English was an exception. Currently he is. Just 10 years old and he speaks English fluently. Best regards. Hazim
Most welcome Dr. He is actually a smart boy. I think that after the age of 8 years old, s/he will know how to handle somehow his/her first language and then to encourage learning the rules of the second language.
I think the 10 year is a best age to learn and write in other language.
Best regards,
there is no specific age but a way to learn like lives with foreign s, that is my opinion
Thank you very much, Zaid for your answer. It is true that living with native speakers makes learning the foreign language better and the speaker of that particular language becomes more efficient. Best regards. Hazim.
There is no age of learning anything.The need will always help us to learn any language.
I agree with my colleagues 03-05 years
but it possible also 30-50 years
Thank you very much,Abderrahmane for your interesting answer. Hazim.
There are three basic pillars that can be used to teach and empathize with the child's English language. The first is related to the child's cognitive, emotional and social qualifications, the second relates to the self-motivation of learning the language, the third to the stimulating environment and to learning. One of the methods that the family can adopt in this area is to create the need and desire of the child to learn a foreign language, to give the functional meaning to acquire this language, and to encourage him whenever he has made remarkable progress in this field while always seeking opportunities to develop both languages and employ them in practical life
Thank you very much, Dr. Ali Mohammed for your excellent answer. Best regards. Hazim.
( Learning at a young age like stone engraving )....The best age to learn foreign languages is the age of childhood , and it can learned at any stage of age
Although younger ages such as early childhood are better, it can be learned at any age. There is no critical period in language learning as suggested by Krashen; therefore, it wouldn't be correct to say that people over 12 will never be able to pass themselves off as native speakers and will end up easily identified as nonnative speakers of that language.
Thank you very much, Muhammet for your excellent answer. Best regards. Hazim.
Any time the learner has the time and motivation is the right time. To speak without a noticeable accent, however, my fifty years of language teaching tell me that the younger one is, the better...usually.
Thank you, Virginia for your excellent answer. Best regards. Hazim.
the type of exposure to language input is more important than the age of exposure. regarding an authentic accent, age plays the most important role. but language learning encompasses different kinds f competence like linguistic, pragmatic, strategic and socio-cultural competence. to develop some of them, learners should be old enough.
Thank you very much, Farangis for your interesting answer. Best wishes. Hazim.
Thank you very much, Wisdom for your interesting answer. Best regards. Hazim.
Of course the best time to develop "Native Speaker" fluency is in early childhood. If the parents speak to the child in one language for each parent, and to each other in a third language, then the child will easily become trilingual. However, the joy in leaning a language is to communicate with others in other cultures, and native accent and fluency is not so important. I have found the being over 50 when learning 2 new languages was much harder, but still worthwhile.
Thank you very much, Arthur for this interesting information. Best regads. Hazim.
The best age of learning the foreign language is childhood and young age (4-14) but some time condition and environment is different .
For Example
"Pakistan people who is working in Saudi Arabia they easily learn, speak and write the Arabic language in very short time."
The most important things is motivation, environment and why they needs to learn foreign language.
Lenneberg suggests that there is an optimal age for learning a foreign language which is from early infancy 4yrs until 9 or 10 years. He says that children are hardwired for language learning at this age. I think one should be very circumspect about this, as Farhan says above, it depends on motivation. People have moved to different countries much later than the ages above and developed a love of the language and culture. However I suppose it is like learning a musical instrument- the earlier the better, but people can learn the piano or guitar etc into adulthood. If you really want to do it, you do it regardless of a few biological impediments.
Thank you very much, David Evans for your interesting answer. Best regards. Hazim.
Learning a new language depends on many factors, the aptitude, the surrounding, ability to overcome the first language influence and the way it is learnt. Whether language is learnt from native speakers, daily education, home education, any other methods such as using internet technology, songs, etc. I teach in a secondary school in England, I have some new learners of English language who have been learning English and got the accent as if they are native speakers. Some other students still have difficulties in learning new vocabulary. Cummins' BICS and CALP theory is the best to rely on in this field. Yet, I do not deny the fact that the best age to learn any language is under the age of 5 according to psychology and education research as language is engraved better in brain in these years.
Please direct us to some psychology and education research indicating that under 5 is the best age to learn any language. Thank you!
There are variations about the most convenient age of language learning. Even children are not the same in language learning. This issue remains controversial and no agreement can be arrived at to specify the most relevant age. Some talented children can acquire a nearly native language below 5 if they are taught in a a foreign language environment.
Early childhood is the best since learners may be affected by the critical period in later time which may lead to certain obstacles in front of learning.
Liqaa
Thank you, Dr. Liqaa for your interesting answer. I do agree with you that the earlier learning a foreign language is the better. Best regards. Hazim.
I think age is not the bar to learn knew things. Circumstances like migration. made us to learn. Computer learning and using Mobile is the examples.
Thank you very much, Vasudeva rao b.s for your interesting answer. Hazim.
I also strongly believe that Early childhood is the appropriate age for the learning of a foreign language since that is the stage one has less to do, think of and is ready to absorb new things around him/her
Another element to throw into the debate demonstrating that there may be no fixed age for language learning especially amongst young people..... When I was a secondary school teacher in England, an Argentine boy came to the school and was a member of my tutor group. This meant, as his tutor I had an overview of his learning in all his subjects. He was 14 years old and hardly spoke a word of English. He was well beyond the Lenneberg optimal age for language acquisition. However as Fatin, above has pointed out, there are other factors that come into play-especially when one is 14 years old and need to identify with a peer group and become respected and accepted.
I must say that I am a Spanish speaker, albeit rusty. However he did not want to speak any Spanish nor was he any longer interested in Argentina. all he wanted was to identify with his English mates. Four years later when he was in the sixth form you wouldn't have though he was any other than English, even speaking with a south east accent.
So we have to be very circumspect about optimal ages, with the caveat that, yes, in middle age it is going to be very difficult if not impossible to be taken for a native speaker as a beginner learner. Dave
Thank you very much, David. This information is really interesting. Best regards. Hazim.
When it comes to learning a new language, popular opinion holds that it is more difficult to achieve as an adult than a child.
According to a new study, performed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US, if you want to achieve proficiency similar to that of a native speaker you should start learning before the age of 10.
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/learn-language-scientists-second-education-best-age-a8330911.html
Are we discussing about the brain capacity to acquire language, other than the native tongue, for monolingual subjects? As a neurolinguist, I can answer that there is no such thing as "suitable age". "The critical age theory" is a psychology approach, and takes into account several important aspects, not always related to the neurobiology. In terms of the brain neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, if what we mean is speaking a new language with a foreign accent, then definitely we are talking about limits and differences. If we mean acquiring native-like grammar structures, we are talking about limits and differences. If we mean access to everyday vs. specialized vocabulary, we are talking about limits and differences. But none of the above mentioned actually have a serious impact on the human brain capacity of learning a foreign language at any age, provided there is no neurological damage to the eloquent brain areas.
Thank you very much, Christina for your interesting answer. Hazim.
The suitable age to acquir or learn a language is the critical period which is ages between 18 months and 15 years. Ages between 2years and 4 years is the most suitable ages to acquir or to learn a language. This is known as critical period hypothisis which was identified by Lenneburg.
The suitable age to acquir or learn a language is the critical period which is ages between 18 months and 15 years. Ages between 2years and 4 years is the most suitable ages to acquir or to learn a language. This is known as critical period hypothisis..
Learning any langauge is an exercise for the brain to increase IQ. So most of the time this trait is related to the brain development.
I think there is no age limit as such for learning any language, If you are interested..
Five things are enough- Read, Write, Listen,Speak and Think in the corresponding langauge that you are learning.
I know - English, Hindi, Marathi, Kannada(basic) and Russian (basic).
It depends on the strategy of learning. Most of researchers concluded that it is better to start earlier because adults will use the structures of their mother languages and then confuse. New strategies are able to override this.
Dear Dr. Hazim,,
According to my opinion the suitable age to learn new language is between 10 and 15 years old.
Best regards.
Dear Hazim Sir,
In my opinion, there is no any suitable age to learn a foreign language. Instead, the easiness with which one can learn a language depends on his/her environment.
Please also have a look at these useful links.
https://www.quora.com/What-do-you-think-the-ideal-age-for-learning-a-foreign-language-1
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-best-age-to-learn-a-second-language-Why
https://www.quora.com/When-at-what-age-should-one-start-learning-a-foreign-language
Good luck!
Thank you very much Arvind for your informative answer and the useful links. Best regards. Hazim
This is a very old question in the psycholinguistic literature. The standard answer has always been pre-puberty before neural allocation of function is complete, for native- sounding, accent-free acquisition . Some caveats however, the pre-puberty rule applies primarily to the acquisition of conversational speech through exposure . Learning formal grammar is probably suited to later ages.
Thank you very much, Ronnie Silber for your interesting answer. Hazim.
Let me add a clarification...pre puberty is a broad range. As noted by others, some researchers thought before the age of 5 or thereabouts, others literally thought before puberty set in.
Thank you again, Ronnie for your clarification. Best wishes. Hazim.
There is no suitable age like to learn a foreign language. Learning is the continuous process ,so no age limit is their.
Regards
Dr. Kamath Madhusudhana
hi, most researchers agree that the earlier a child starts learning a second language, the better. they agree that it is much harder for a child beyond puberty to learn a new language. critical thinking skills, and flexibility of the mind are significantly enhanced if children learn a second language at a younger age. regarding their pronunciation and accent, children can be near-native speakers in sound articulation and intonation. best
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