https://padlet.com/x_nguyen2/SLAT2001_Week8 Share your reponses here. en-us 2018-04-22 23:37:15 UTC 2018-04-23 01:52:38 UTC hello@padlet.com x_nguyen2 https://padlet.com/x_nguyen2/SLAT2001_Week8/wish/254200018 2018-04-22 23:38:59 UTC https://padlet.com/x_nguyen2/SLAT2001_Week8/wish/254200018 https://padlet.com/x_nguyen2/SLAT2001_Week8/wish/254215704 Although it seems like students who started young have a 'headstart' or 'innate sense' wrt English, that's not necessarily the case. Overall, they've had more hours of instruction - which can indeed be made up for in extra diligence with study. They may also just have more confidence in their language ability due to their increased level of exposure at a young age. However, none of these things are impossible to gain as a later learner - the only real difference might be that younger learners may have more success in internalising the English phonemes. And moreover, immersing a young child in a second language could also cause them to lose proficiency in their first language! Like you mention, enthusiasm is often the key to learning a new language. Motivation can come in different forms for each learner and will always be the key to a successful language learning experience. ]]> 2018-04-23 01:43:04 UTC https://padlet.com/x_nguyen2/SLAT2001_Week8/wish/254215704 https://padlet.com/x_nguyen2/SLAT2001_Week8/wish/254215803 It may seem like children have the innate ability to learn language learning skills more effectively than adults, however it is actually not the case. Adults can effectively acquire a second language just as easily as a child if the reason for learning the language is intrinsic. Motivation is a huge role in acquiring a language and it is imperative that teachers instil the appropriate motivational teaching practices when teaching students (young or old). This idea of "younger the better" should be eradicated as it can cause older learners to believe that they cannot acquire a language after a certain time; they certainly can. From past experience, if you really NEED to and WANT to, then you will acquire that language efficiently, with time and patience. If you have to move to a different country or if a particular language interests you, that is more than enough to get someone started in their language learning journey. ]]> 2018-04-23 01:43:53 UTC https://padlet.com/x_nguyen2/SLAT2001_Week8/wish/254215803 https://padlet.com/x_nguyen2/SLAT2001_Week8/wish/254216239 The other students had a head start but that does not mean that he canot catch up with them.]]> 2018-04-23 01:46:34 UTC https://padlet.com/x_nguyen2/SLAT2001_Week8/wish/254216239 https://padlet.com/x_nguyen2/SLAT2001_Week8/wish/254216367 I agree with ---->]]> 2018-04-23 01:47:05 UTC https://padlet.com/x_nguyen2/SLAT2001_Week8/wish/254216367 https://padlet.com/x_nguyen2/SLAT2001_Week8/wish/254216401 2018-04-23 01:47:18 UTC https://padlet.com/x_nguyen2/SLAT2001_Week8/wish/254216401 https://padlet.com/x_nguyen2/SLAT2001_Week8/wish/254216420 I personally believe it is almost impossible to definitively say whether it is easier or 'better' to learn a language earlier on in life. There are too many influencing factors to consider that correspond with age and experience. ]]> 2018-04-23 01:47:29 UTC https://padlet.com/x_nguyen2/SLAT2001_Week8/wish/254216420 https://padlet.com/x_nguyen2/SLAT2001_Week8/wish/254216433 whilst it does ]]> 2018-04-23 01:47:36 UTC https://padlet.com/x_nguyen2/SLAT2001_Week8/wish/254216433 https://padlet.com/x_nguyen2/SLAT2001_Week8/wish/254216503 2018-04-23 01:48:08 UTC https://padlet.com/x_nguyen2/SLAT2001_Week8/wish/254216503 https://padlet.com/x_nguyen2/SLAT2001_Week8/wish/254216930 I can see where the OP is coming from. Once you are truely engrained in the ways of one language, it is harder to adapt to another language. You will have to be more diligent to achieve great results in the new language, although with age you may be more likely to actually apply yourself to learning the language.]]> 2018-04-23 01:50:25 UTC https://padlet.com/x_nguyen2/SLAT2001_Week8/wish/254216930