It’s never too late to learn a language – adults and kids bring different strengths to the task

By: Karen Stollznow, Griffith University; University of Colorado Boulder, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: February 26, 2026

Words: 1,324

Last Updated: 1 week, 6 days ago

By Karen Stollznow, Griffith University; University of Colorado Boulder

There’s a common assumption that if someone starts learning a language when they are very young, they will quickly become fluent.

Many people also assume that it will become much harder to learn a language if they start later in life.

Research into language learning shows that how old someone is when they learn a language does matter, but there is no point …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.