Kids make learning a language as an adult seem impossible, don’t they? One moment, they’re babbling, and the next, they’re forming sentences, understanding complex phrases, and even switching between languages—all without a single grammar drill or flashcard. Meanwhile, here you are, spending hours memorizing conjugations, practicing pronunciation, and trying to string together a simple sentence. It’s frustrating when the words don’t come out right, and you might even wonder if learning a new language as an adult is just too hard.
The truth? You can learn a new language—it’s not your age holding you back; it’s your approach. Scientists now know how the adult brain learns, and the best part is that with the right strategies, you can tap into the same neuroplasticity kids use to pick up languages. Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman explains it all in this fascinating YouTube video that shatters the myth that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”
I decided to write this blog to help fellow Spanish learners like me understand how our brain actually works as adults when we’re trying to learn something new. I’ve had my fair share of frustration learning Spanish, and I believe this article can help make sense of that struggle — and hopefully turn all our efforts into real, lasting progress.
Summary
- Neuroplasticity: Essential for learning and acquiring new skills at any age.
- Why Language Learning is Easier for Kids?: Kids have more extracellular space between neurons, making it easier to form neuroplasticity and learn new skills.
- Why Adults Struggle with Language Learning?: After age 25, brain development fills extracellular space, making it harder to form neuroplasticity and learn a language.
- To Activate Neuroplasticity in Adults: 1) Trigger Phase: Be Alert and Focused while learning; 2) Rewiring Phase: Practice deep sleep and Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) after learning; 3) Repetition Phase: Repeat what you learned to intensify neural connections
- Practical Tips to Activate Neuroplasticity for Language Learning in Adults:
- For the Trigger Phase:
- Alertness: Get enough sleep (7-9 hours), stay motivated, and engage with a clear purpose.
- Focus: Minimize distractions, practice visual focus and auditory focus.
- For the Rewiring Phase:
- Practice NSDR: Engage in 20-minute naps, relaxing walks, or meditation after learning.
- Deep Sleep: Ensure 7-9 hours of sleep for proper consolidation of information.
- For the Repetition Phase:
- Active Recall
- Space out Practice
- Make it a Habit
- For the Trigger Phase:
What is Neuroplasticity?
Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to create, strengthen, or reorganize neural pathways — basically, how our brain adapts and changes based on what we do, think, or experience. When we learn something new, our brain creates new neural pathways. When we practice repeatedly, those connections get stronger, like carving a deeper trail in a forest. When we stop using them, they weaken over time — that’s why we forget. Without neuroplasticity, learning is impossible.
Why Learning a Language is Easier for Kids
In a child´s brain, neuroplasticity is much more flexible than in adults´ because they have abundant extracellular spaces between neurons. These extracellular spaces allow neurons to form connections more easily and quickly, making it easier for kids to learn new things, especially languages. As a result, young children passively absorb language from their environment without needing to actively study it.
They pick up sounds, words, and grammar naturally, just by being around people who speak the language, without having to consciously focus on rules or structures. This ability to soak up language effortlessly is one of the reasons why kids seem to learn so quickly.
Why Do Adults Struggle to Learn a New Language?
After the age of 25 (give or take a couple of years), when the brain fully matures, the extracellular spaces between neurons start to fill up with the learnings, abilities, and information that make us who we are. Because of this, it becomes harder for new connections to form — there’s simply less space to be filled. This change limits the brain’s ability to adapt and create fresh pathways, this is why learning a new language as an adult can feel so challenging. Our adult brain simply isn’t wired to absorb new information or learn a skill as quickly anymore.
Neuroplasticity and Learning a Language as an Adult
To truly understand how adults can learn effectively, it’s important to know the three key phases of activating neuroplasticity for adults. Huberman’s insights boil down to three key phases:
1. Trigger Phase: Activating Neuroplasticity
- Epinephrine: This chemical sets the stage by putting your brain in an alert state. It’s the brain’s “on” switch for learning, making sure you’re awake, engaged, and ready to absorb new information. Without alertness, neuroplasticity won’t happen — so no, listening to Spanish podcasts while you sleep is useless!
- Acetylcholine: Once you’re alert, acetylcholine steps in to fine-tune your attention. It’s produced in several parts of the brain, but for neuroplasticity to take root, it is required be released from the nucleus basalis. This release acts like a mental spotlight, narrowing your focus to what truly matters and signaling your brain, “This is important — remember this.”
2. The Rewiring Phase: Consolidating Learning
After a learning session, your brain needs time to organize and strengthen what you’ve just taken in. This process, called consolidation, transforms short-term memories and fragile new neural connections into stable, long-term ones.
This happens during deep sleep and Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR). While you’re awake and learning, your brain is busy taking in information and forming temporary connections. But during rest, those connections are replayed, refined, and reinforced — that’s when true neuroplasticity occurs.
Think of it like training at the gym: you break down your muscles while exercising, but the growth and repair happen during recovery. The same goes for your brain — without rest, your neurons don’t have the chance to strengthen those new pathways, and real progress simply can’t take place.
3. The Repetition Phase: Strengthening Neural Pathways
Repetition is what turns fragile new connections into strong, lasting ones. Each time you revisit what you’ve learned — whether it’s a Spanish phrase, a skill, or a concept — you’re reinforcing the same neural pathway, making it faster and more efficient.
While Huberman doesn’t go into much detail about this phase in the video, it’s widely recognized as one of the core principles of effective learning: consistency and repetition are what transform temporary changes in the brain into permanent ones.
How to Activate Neuroplasticity as an Adult Learning a New Language
Earlier, we explored the three key phases of activating neuroplasticity: the Trigger Phase, the Rewiring Phase, and the Repetition Phase. Now, let’s focus on practical tips to activate each of these phases and make your language learning journey more effective, based on Huberman’s insights.
1. For the Trigger Phase
To kickstart learning, your brain needs to enter a state where it’s ready to change — this is called the Trigger Phase. It begins when two key neurochemicals, epinephrine and acetylcholine, signal your brain to wake up, focus, and start forming new connections.
Alertness (Epinephrine)Before you can learn anything effectively, your brain must first be awake and alert. This state is driven by epinephrine (adrenaline), which signals to your brain that something important is happening and prepares it to form new connections. Here´s how to activate the release of this neurochemical:
- Get enough sleep: When you don’t sleep well, levels of epinephrine and dopamine drop, making it harder to stay alert, focused, and motivated. Chronic sleep deprivation also slows reaction time and dulls attention — the exact opposite of what your brain needs to learn efficiently. Aim for 7–9 hours of quality rest each night to maintain steady energy and mental clarity.
- Use caffeine strategically. A moderate amount of caffeine helps you feel more awake and focused by blocking adenosine, the chemical that builds up during the day and makes you sleepy. The result is a sharper, more alert mind ready to learn.
- Be cautious with nicotine. While smoking which contains nicotine can temporarily sharpen attention by stimulating certain neurotransmitters, it’s highly addictive and harmful in the long run. It’s not a sustainable or healthy way to boost focus.
- Stay motivated. Remind yourself why you’re learning a new language. A strong sense of purpose naturally increases dopamine and epinephrine — both essential for sustained alertness and engagement.
Once you’re alert, the next step is to direct that energy toward one thing at a time — this is where acetylcholine comes in. It acts like a mental spotlight, allowing your brain to lock in, filter out distractions, and start forming meaningful connections. Here´s how to achieve this:
- Visual focus: When you visually focus on something — say, a word in your textbook or a detail on your screen — neurons in your visual system become more active, and the release of acetylcholine from the nucleus basalis helps amplify that activity specifically in the visual cortex. That focused gaze tells your brain, “This is important.” In real life, this means keeping your eyes on one area instead of multitasking or constantly switching tabs. Even small visual distractions (like glancing at your phone) can break that chemical focus.
- Auditory focus: The same applies to sound. If you’re listening to a podcast or audio lesson, keep your attention on that single source. Closing your eyes or keeping your gaze fixed on one point helps your brain block visual noise and strengthen focus on what you hear. Using earphones or noise-canceling headphones also helps by reducing background sounds and giving your brain a clean signal to lock onto.
- Remove distractions: Acetylcholine works best when your environment is free from competing stimuli. Every time you check your phone, glance at notifications, or multitask, your brain must redirect its focus — which drains that chemical signal. To maintain steady concentration, create an environment with as few distractions as possible. Turn off alerts, close unnecessary tabs, and keep only what you need for the task in front of you.
2. For the Rewiring Phase:
After a learning session, your brain needs time to consolidate and strengthen the new information. This is when short-term connections begin turning into long-term memory — a process that happens only during rest. To achieve this you need to:
- Practice NSDR (Non-Sleep Deep Rest): Right after studying, give your brain a short period of deep rest before jumping into another task. Try a 20-minute NSDR session — a quick nap, relaxed breathing, meditation, or a calm walk. These restful states allow your brain to start consolidating what you’ve just learned. Avoid doing things that disrupt this process, such as scrolling on your phone, checking notifications, or watching videos immediately after studying — these activities pull your attention in new directions and prevent your brain from reinforcing what it just absorbed. After completing your NSDR, you can resume studying or move on to other activities with better focus and mental clarity.
- Prioritize deep sleep: Aim for 7–9 hours each night. During deep sleep, your brain replays and strengthens new neural connections, turning what you studied into lasting knowledge. Without enough sleep, those new pathways remain fragile and fade quickly.
3. For the Repetition Phase:
This final phase is about reinforcing and stabilizing the new neural pathways through consistent practice. While Huberman’s video focuses mainly on the Trigger and Rewiring phases, repetition is what truly locks learning into long-term memory. Here’s how to make it work for you:
- Incorporate active recall: Don’t just reread your notes — test yourself. Actively pulling information from memory strengthens neural connections far more effectively than passive review. Use flashcards, quiz yourself on grammar rules, or write sentences using new vocabulary.
- Space out your practice: Spread your study sessions over several days instead of cramming everything into one sitting. This technique, known as spaced repetition, helps the brain re-encode information each time you revisit it, making it stick longer.
- Make it a habit: Consistency builds mastery. Short, regular study sessions are more powerful than occasional long ones. By showing up often, you signal to your brain that this skill matters — and it keeps those neural pathways strong and active.
For more insights on active recall, you can watch Huberman’s YouTube video dedicated to the topic.
If you’re curious to explore this topic further, here’s the full video where Huberman explains the science behind neuroplasticity in detail.
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