Babies aren't better than you at learning a language. They just have no way to escape having great Comprehensible Input. If you set up your environment the same way you can learn even faster than them.
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Yes, the key idea is "optimal input." Hypothesis - with optimal input we are all "gifted" language acquirers. See Krashen, S. 2019. Is there a “fast track” to second language acquisition? Do some people have special talents for language acquisition? tinyurl.com/y2zhqhqr
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I read the first tweet, and I thought the key idea was "no way to escape" ... 🤔
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For most babies yes, for those on the spectrum not necessarily true. I beat myself up over not providing enough input to my son. His lack of output was not my fault. Too much input or the delivery of the input is what I have had to change. My son has made me really rethink things
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Thank you! This is what I'm saying. Comprehensible input is what we should be talking more about. The acquisition part that kids get and adults don't. That is really the biggest difference. I believe more language centers would greatly help solve this issue.
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Advanced learners can just immerse in native media in the language! And obviously make friends with speakers of the language if they can.
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Also think of how many hours a day a baby is immersed in the language learning environment, and how many years we allow them to mostly just listen before they begin to produce. Does that count as “fast”?
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While I agree, I’ve heard how people have been looking into exactly how much, err, little input babies get (i.e. waking hours of interaction and receiving input). It’s not even hours per day—at least for a while. That’s one reason it takes years.