Thursday 17 February 2011

Can adults learn language as well as babies?

The Way of the Linguist: A Language Learning Odyssey  Bastard Tongues: A Trail-Blazing Linguist Finds Clues to Our Common Humanity in the World's Lowliest Languages



All of us are familiar with the belief that children learn languages far easier than adults. It turns out that, actually, the critical period is between 0 and 7 years. Patricia Kuhl, co-director of the Institute for Brain and Learning Sciences at the University of Washington, talks about this critical period and investigates the brain process during this time.

This is a fascinating video inviting a variety of opposing opinions. Watch it and tell us yours. Can adults still learn a new language effectively? Should we bombard babies with a multitude of languages to groom them to be future linguists?

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