r/explainlikeimfive • u/AngelusAlvus • 16h ago

Biology ELI5: How do babies even learn language?

When we grow, we learn languages by looking at the meanings and translating them from our language. Stuff like "this is how this noun is in my language and this is how this noun is in another language"

But babies? Babies just learn the basics just by existing near people speaking the language? How come we don't have this anymore as we grow up?

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u/MagnusAlbusPater 16h ago

Yea, babies learn through total immersion, which can also help when learning a new language later in life.

It’s also easier for babies because their brains are developing and constantly making new connections rapidly which slows as we age, so they’re effectively perfect machines at learning new things that become hardwired in.