I took three years of Spanish and got an A every semester. Even when it was still fresh in my mind, I was nowhere near able to hold even a very simple conversation. And now just a few years later it’s all totally gone from my brain.

My mother’s native language is Spanish and she never taught me, which I resent her for. But I still find it incredible how shitty my public school education in Spanish was. We really should be teaching kids a second language from kindergarten up.

  • RION [she/her]@hexbear.net
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    3 months ago

    well it’s certainly not “all over” if you don’t learn a language young, but it’s going to be more difficult to become bilingual from a developmental perspective (less neuroplasticity) and a practical perspective (typically less time to spend learning due to adult obligations)

    • simpletailor [he/him]@hexbear.net
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      3 months ago

      Language acquisition research on a “critical period” for language learning is inconclusive. Neuroplasticity may make it easier for a child to acquire/differentiate specific linguistic information (e.g. sounds that exist in one but not both of the languages) but being socialized into a second language discourse community /also/ means that they’re getting far more time practicing the language.