It is generally accepted that it is easier for children to learn languages, as they are more receptive to new things, and every aspect of their lives is made up of new experiences that they naturally get used to and learn. From birth, babies make rapid neural connections and can distinguish between voices from their first words at the age of around 2 years. They use every stimulus available to them to mimic the languages that are around them[1], and they are able to use this acquired language creatively. These are known as the critical years in a child’s development.[2] As such, children, particularly those under the age of 5 are extremely receptive to learning languages, unlike adults, for whom it is more of a challenge, as they lack this openness in their learning to be able to untrain their brain around grammar and language rules in their native language. This is because they already have distinct ideas and basis in phonology, phonetics, vocabulary and syntax in their native language. Similarly, unlike young children who can easily pick up a near native accent in a second language, because adults already have a natural accent and way of speaking, this is less likely to be the case, therefore distinguishing the difference between someone who learnt a language as a child and someone who learnt as an adult.

[1] Skinner 1950s
[2] Penfield 1959