While tackling a new language as an adult may seem challenging, it turns out that adults can become fluent in a foreign language about as quickly as children do. (And that’s good news, because there’s evidence that learning a language as an adult may help delay the onset and severity of dementia.)
A 2018 study concluded that although we’re more apt to reach native-level fluency if we start young, adults are just as capable of mastering a new language. It might take a decade or more for adults to achieve native-level fluency, but we can reach incredibly high levels of comprehension in as little as 1-3 years of language learning. What’s more, adults may even be better at certain aspects of language learning than kids are, since our attention spans are longer and our ability to focus is greater.
Community colleges often have language classes, which are a great way to get started. Interacting with instructors in person gives you valuable feedback you can’t get from an app or website. Conversation groups and language exchanges are extremely useful for building and practicing your skills. Look at MeetUp.com to find conversation groups in your area, or check language exchange sites like italki.com, TalkAbroad.com, and HelloTalk.com to get one-on-one video call time with a fluent speaker of the language you’re learning.
