ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

how akuire language

Well, imagine that your brain is like a sponge, just like the one you use to clean up spills in the kitchen. But instead of water, your brain can soak up sounds, words, and meanings from the people around you. This is how you learn a language!

When you are a baby, you start to hear the people around you talking and making sounds. Your brain starts to absorb these sounds and over time, you start to recognize patterns and understand what they mean. This is why babies start to make sounds themselves, like "ma-ma" or "da-da". They are trying to communicate with the people around them and learn new words.

As you grow older, your brain becomes better at learning new words and grammar rules. You might start to learn a second language in school, or from a family member who speaks a different language. Your brain will still work like a sponge, soaking up all the new words and meanings.

But learning a new language can be hard work! It takes time, practice, and patience. You might make mistakes along the way, but that's ok! Just keep practicing and you will get better and better.

So, to summarize: your brain is like a sponge that absorbs sounds and words from the people around you, and over time, you learn how to understand and speak a language. Learning a language takes time, practice, and patience.