Is it harder to learn a new language the older you get?

Question

I'm 20 and I only know English and broken Quebecois French...I think learning a new language might help me in the future career-wise, plus it's just so damn cool to be multilingual.

Personal experience learning a new language would help. Also, are some languages easier than others?

Answer 1

If you start to learn a 2nd language before the age of 5, you'll pick it up easily and will probably speak it without an accent. After 5 or so, it starts to get a little harder. By the time you're old enough to start learning it in school, you're pretty wired into your native tongue and it's harder, but do-able.



I applaud your desire to learn an additional language. Since you know a little French-Canadian, why not start learning French? Certainly that would be the easiest for you. For your adult career, the best language to learn will depend on what career you choose. If you want to become a French teach, for example, learning Russian isn't going to help you much.



If you're interested in learning a language that will be the most used worldwide, I would suggest Mandarin Chinese or Spanish. Spanish definitely would be easier for you to learn.

Answer 2

Based on Personal Experience:

I am learning arabic language, yeah it is hard language , of course cuz the letters are different from english, french, spanish, etc.. , but i'm taking online classes in "arabicollege" , yeah it is very nice experience beside i got to know the culture of the whole arab world beside the language, and i still have a lot to learn , i feel like i have this big curiosity to make a huge progress in this language, though i start learning it to have some fun. all the best

Answer 3

you nevertheless have not mastered English apparently...."your older" would desire to be "you're older"!! A 2nd language would not draw one closer to God. The area of the suggestions that deals with language skills is the comparable area of the suggestions which will become impacted by applying Alzheimer's ailment, subsequently no longer only has it been proved that work out that area of the suggestions can easily guard from contracting the ailment, it logically stands to reason that it may be harder to place it to apply as one a while to %. up a sparkling language.

Answer 4

To me, learning French before Spanish made it easier, so maybe since you know some Quebecois French, you could try Spanish? Probably the older you get the easier it will be to learn a language, because you learn more about wording and phrases and all that, and grammar. My motto for learning new languages is: "If you can't write it as fast as you can in English, it just won't work." I learned that from Chinese & Japanese. Those exams were HORRORS!

Answer 5

You should have no difficult learning new languages at 20. Although I have slowed down a little now I am in my 50's, I successfully studied several languages well after the age of 20 and into my 40's.

Answer 6

My neighbour who is multilingual and speaks proper French told me that she found it difficult to understand Quebecois French.



And what is with mentioning Russian language? Why not Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian? They are difficult languages too. I speak fluent Russian. If wanted a language for business- I would pick German.

Answer 7

it is hard either way. i actually learned more spanish on the jobsite than when i took it in school. and when you learn it in school you dont learn the ways and slangs others use. i dont speak it very well though. english and that is all i need.

Answer 8

Italian is really easier!!!!