This is definitely possible at any age. If you have never learned a foreign language before, it may be more difficult (for grown-ups of every age, though), unless you are really gifted for languages. But when you have learned a foreign language before, and are used to it, it is is probably a lot easier.
You can learn basic grammar and vocabulary at any age. That explains my “good enough” French. But there's also an enormous amount of low-frequency words and syntax that even native speakers might encounter only once a year. Knowing any one of these “occasional” words or phrasings isn't essential.
are you ever too old to learn a new language. Research aside, none of this should discourage adults from attempting to learn a new language. No matter how old you are, you're never too old to learn a new language.
Better Late Than Never
You didn't learn French, Spanish, or Chinese as a child, so what? There is no reason to sit in a corner and sulk about it. If you still want to learn a language, whatever it may be, then there is nothing stopping you from starting today. Make your decision and stick with it.
But research shows that learning a second language offers proven benefits for intelligence, memory, and concentration, plus lowered risks of dementia and Alzheimer's. So what if you are over 40 and want to learn a second language? The good news is, it can be done. I learned French in my 50s.
The amount of time it takes to learn French depends on many different factors. However, if we had to give a general estimate, we would say that it usually takes around 6 to 12 months to reach a basic level of proficiency (with regular studies!), and 1 to 2 years of consistent work to become fluent.
“It's just that you run out of time, because your ability to learn starts dropping at around 17 or 18 years old.” Those who start a few years after age 10 may still become quite good at a language, the paper notes, but are unlikely to reach total fluency.
French is a Category I language, so it's relatively easy to learn for native English speakers. It will take approximately 580 hours or 23 weeks of study to reach complete French fluency. Which we could break down as the following: If you study for 1 hour every day, you can learn French in 1.5 years.
Late bilingualism – refers to bilingualism when the second language is learned after the age of 6 or 7; especially when it is learned in adolescence or adulthood. Late bilingualism is a consecutive bilingualism which occurs after the acquisition of the first language (after the childhood language development period).
French is relatively easy to learn but it does take some time and effort. As French is closely related to English, I have to agree with the Foreign Language Institute that says that French belongs to the easiest group of languages to learn for English speakers. Having so much common vocabulary helps a lot!
Although you may face some extra difficulties at 30, 50 – or 90 – your brain still has an astonishing ability to learn and master many new skills, whatever your age. And the effort to master a new discipline may be more than repaid in maintaining and enhancing your overall cognitive health.
Across multiple sources, Mandarin Chinese is the number one language listed as the most challenging to learn. The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center puts Mandarin in Category IV, which is the list of the most difficult languages to learn for English speakers.
Good for Practice, Not Always for Learning
Even with some of the well-developed courses, Duolingo may not be enough to completely teach a language to fluency. As mentioned earlier, Duolingo is great for getting a base in a language—but don't expect to get to advanced fluency on Duolingo alone.
Three months is a short amount of time, but it's more than enough time to learn the basics of a new language. If you're dedicated to learning French, you can easily achieve your goal in just a few months. The key is to create a study plan and stick to it. Start by finding a good French textbook or online course.
French is hard to learn for a few reasons, but it's mostly because of the pronunciation, spelling, and the endless grammatical rules and their exceptions that can be confusing.
Why learn at early adolescence (11-13 years of age)? A study of 17,000 British children learning French at school has shown that children who had started learning at the age of eleven performed better at second language proficiency tests, compared to those that had started at around eight years of age.
Children learning two languages simultaneously go through the same developmental stages as children learning one language. While bilingual children may start talking slightly later than monolingual children, they still begin talking within the normal range (11).
A good rule of thumb is that you can expect to be conversational in a language within 6-12 months of dedicated study and practice. This means that you'll be able to hold basic conversations and understand most of what is being said. To reach fluency, you'll likely need to dedicate at least 2-3 years to the language.
If you're concerned that you waited too long to get started, you'll be glad to know that this is an excellent time in your life to begin a focus on learning new things. Learning a new language at this age has different challenges that when you were in your 20s or 30s.
Our Duolingo French review in a nutshell
As our Duolingo review reveals, it is a viable tool for beginners and moderately helpful for intermediate learners. If fluency is your goal, you'll need more than Duolingo. But Duolingo French is a lot of fun. With a free subscription, you can have no complaints.
It's not to become fluent. It's not to know all the grammar and vocabulary. None of that stuff really matters. It's all about living a better life ourselves, and for that reason, you can never, ever be too old to learn a language.
It is true that older language learners will have to work a bit harder than young ones. A study from researchers at Harvard and MIT found that children are able to absorb new languages faster than adults until the age of 18 or 19, and that the ideal age to learn a language is before 10.
Many people believe that you lose the ability to learn new languages as you get older. Language experts, however, will tell you that you're never too old to learn a new language. As you get older, it can be more difficult to learn a new language, though. Children and adults learn new languages in different ways.