Research has shown that children in the age groups between 12 and 15 usually learn languages quickly at first but children between 8 and 10 had the best control of language overall. Surprisingly, children between 3 and 5 had the worst test scores out of all of the groups even though people often believe that children should start learning a language early. However, there are good reasons for starting early such as better pronunciation and more time to develop their vocabulary. Older children and teenagers have more trouble learning languages because they are influenced by their feelings and motivation for learning the language. But older children can use many different kinds of language learning strategies which young children simply can’t use. So don’t give up – and feel positive about learning a language. (by Prof. Wendy Tada)