Is it possible to become completely fluent in another language?

They concluded that the ability to learn a new language, at least grammatically, is strongest until the age of 18 after which there is a precipitous decline. To become completely fluent, however, learning should start before the age of 10. This is not to say that we cannot learn a new language if we are over 20.

Is it true that people who are fluent in another language may not have complete mastery of their native language?

One can never have complete mastery of a language. There is always more to learn, a new way to speak and write, in fact not even a native speaker can master his/her own language completely and in fact a language undergoes a steady and continuous change in usage, application and expression.

Is it possible to become fluent in a language later in life?

You can become a perfectly fluent speaker of a foreign language at any age, and small imperfections of grammar or accent often just add to the charm. Learn a new language.

Can you speak a second language like a native?

Yes, it is perfectly possible to speak a second, or third, or fourth… language like a native. My daughter is one such living example. Of course, she had the advantage of being native-level fluent in three languages by the time she was 13.

Is it possible to speak a second language like a native?

There are people who claim to speak like a native in a foreign language. Many have achieved a C2 level in a second language, the highest level on the Common European Framework of Reference. But that is not the same as being able to be mistaken for a native speaker of that language.

Is it possible to achieve native-like competence in second language acquisition?

We conclude that native-like competence in an L2 is achievable, even by older L2 learners.

Why don’t people learn a second language after they master one?

Once they do, they may no longer have the time, opportunity or learning environment to study a second language like they did when they were younger. Alternatively, it is possible that after one masters a first language, its rules interfere with the ability to learn a second.

Can We learn a new language if we are over 20?

This is not to say that we cannot learn a new language if we are over 20. There are numerous examples of people who pick up a language later in life, and our ability to learn new vocabulary appears to remain constant, but most of us will not be able to master grammar like a native speaker—or probably sound like one either.

Is immersion more important than learning a language?

Perhaps even more important than when one learns a language is how. People who learned via immersion—living in an English-speaking country more than 90 percent of the time—were significantly more fluent than those who learned in a class.

What is the best age to start learning a foreign language?

To become completely fluent, however, learning should start before the age of 10. There are three main ideas as to why language-learning ability declines at 18: social changes, interference from one’s primary language and continuing brain development.