BETA
Chapter 1
The superpower of the growing brain
Chapter 2
Learning through play and fearlessness
Chapter 3
The social secret of baby talk
Chapter 4
Unlocking the adult brain's hidden advantages
Ch 4 · Unlocking the adult brain's hidden advantages
duolingo Match sound patterns to discover how kids learn languages effortlessly and what adults can borrow.
duolingo Deliberate Immersion Bubbles
Flip the switch, flip the switch, let the language fill your screen.
duolingo Adults use metacognition and explicit learning to understand language rules that children take years to master through trial and error.
Quiz
What is the cognitive term for 'thinking about how you think,' which adults can use to accelerate learning?
duolingo Adults map new foreign words to fully formed concepts they already understand.
Quiz
Approximately how many words does a typical 20-year-old adult have in their native vocabulary database?
Fun Fact
Adult speed: Studies show that under intensive, identical conditions, adults actually learn grammar and vocabulary faster than young children in the first few months.
Glossary
metacognition (noun)
Awareness and analysis of one's own learning or thinking processes. In 2022, Ghent University researchers showed adults use this conscious awareness to master grammar faster than children.
Awareness and analysis of one's own learning or thinking processes. In 2022, Ghent University researchers showed adults use this conscious awareness to master grammar faster than children.
Quiz
Why are native-language subtitles recommended over translated subtitles for intermediate adult learners?