how do people learn languages

12 hours ago 7
Nature

People learn languages through a combination of recognizing patterns, social interactions, and consistent practice over time. Babies learn by mimicking sounds and interacting with their environment, while adults learn by building on existing language knowledge, identifying similarities, and immersing themselves in authentic contexts such as listening, reading, and speaking with native speakers. Key strategies include creating regular habits, using mnemonics, playing language games, and engaging directly with other speakers to improve fluency and comprehension. Adults and children learn languages differently, with children naturally acquiring language through interaction and exposure, while adults benefit from structured learning combined with immersion and pattern recognition. The process involves exposure to meaningful and comprehensible communication, practice, and reinforcement of vocabulary and grammar in real-life contexts.