5 Comments
User's avatar
Kevin DeMille's avatar

This sounds correct to me, thanks for this. What do you think it is that causes us to absorb information like new languages or music less efficiently as we age? Do you think it is possible for someone to build the skills, connections in the brain to continue to be a “sponge” as we age. Curious to what you think and enjoy your day.

Von's avatar

Babies minds are designed for language learning, and this declines as they get older.

see https://youtu.be/G2XBIkHW954

Debbie | Behind Shoji Doors's avatar

Thanks for the great tips!

Agent 1-4-9's avatar

Excellent! Here's a something I discovered. I studied Latin for 4 years and I can read a couple Romance languages and get the drift, just from translating back and forth from words in English that have similar Latin roots. But it goes by too quickly when spoken to pick out more than a word or two because this method is a slow, laborious process. By accident, I was listening to a Spanish video on YouTube at double speed. Just as you say, listening and nothing else. Not trying to translate or pick out words, just listening. And then when I slowed it down to regular speed I was amazed at how much more I could understand. Try it!

Von's avatar

Interesting.

My French teacher in Belgium did something interesting with us. She played a highly idiomatic movie at regular speed, but the language itself was idiomatic, slurred, etc. And then she had us try to repeat back what the person had said, going over and over it until we go all the words.

After that regular language was a lot easier.