How does language learning develop at different stages of life? Do children learn foreign languages more easily? Do adults have any advantages?
Early learning of sounds
Thanks in part to heart rate recording techniques, we have discovered that as early as in uterothe child accumulates knowledge of the sounds of his mother tongue. He is already able to differentiate between a /ba/ and a /ta/ and is sensitive to the intonations he perceives through the uterine wall.
During the first eight months after birth, he is able to discern the phonetic contrasts of potentially any foreign language: voiced or unvoiced, short or long sound, tonal contrasts (as in Chinese) as well as accentuation within words or sentences.
However, this ability would disappear very quickly, due to the specialization that takes place in the language(s) of its environment.
Language acquisition
In the language sciences, when we use the term acquisition, we’re referring to implicit processes (as opposed to formal learning). We’ve all learned to speak our mother tongue without being told the rules of how it works.
Research has highlighted the existence of so-called “sensitive” periods, which are like a “window of opportunity”. optimal time windows for acquisitions. L synaptic development is particularly intense between the ages of 0 and 3, and to a lesser extent up to the age of 10. Among other things, this creates the conditions for the lexical explosion which takes placearound the age of two, with a word learned every 90 seconds!
Thanks to their extraordinary abilities, children acquire their first language(s) at a speed speed speed.
Already in decline?
It would seem that time has taken its toll in a very premature manner.
According to some specialists, the best age for learning foreign languages is around 7, with the decline in our super-skills starting as early as age 4! This decline is progressive, but there is no critical age beyond which learning is no longer possible.
One notable aspect of this decline is phonological phonological deafness, which comes from theThis hyper-specialization for the sounds of our mother tongue makes us insensitive to the properties of the sounds of another language. This deafness is also progressive, and really sets in around the age of 13-14 years.
The advantages of adults
It should be remembered that numerous studies have shown that the brain remains plastic throughout life, thanks to synaptogenesis (development and modification of connections) and neurogenesis (creation of neurons).
When it comes to learning a foreign language, adults benefit from the maturity of their cognitive development as well as theexperience of how their mother tongue works. This includes:
– the presence of more developed metalinguistic skills (being able to analyze a linguistic system),
– the transfer of identical mechanisms between languages mastered and the language to be learned, as well as the transfer of vocabulary made up of similar or transparent words,
– the possibility of implementing strategies to optimize learning on a global level: self-regulation, planning, attention, self-evaluation….and at a more local level: memorization techniques, enhanced observation, inference and deduction skills…
– finally, some studies have shown that adults have better sound reproduction skills, even though this is considered a priori to be more favourable for children.
Conclusion
While it’s true that children have undeniable advantages when it comes to learning foreign languages, it’s possible that these advantages will soon disappear, without this being a catastrophe!
It’s up to educators to take advantage of their knowledge of learning mechanisms to propose content and teaching methods adapted to their audience and context.
