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In fact, our brains retain “neuroplasticity," which is what enables the brain to rewire itself in response to new challenges, well into adulthood.
It is no great secret that children are better at learning new skills than adults. Young people seem to start a new hobby and take to it with a speed adults can only dream of.
After the age of 12, our ability to absorb new information begins to dwindle. However, all is not lost for people wanting to learn a new skill after the tender age of 12.
This is because children are better at picking up patterns implicitly, i.e. understanding that an action will have certain consequences without understanding what is actually going on.
In January 2021, American journalist Tom Vanderbilt published his book ‘Beginners,’ in which he sheds light on how to learn effectively as an adult.
The first and perhaps most important takeaway from the book is to adopt a “beginner’s mindset.” If you want to adopt a new skill as an adult, there’s no point striving for perfection.
The book combines the science of skill acquisition with some things Vanderbilt learnt during a year he spent pursuing a range of new skills, such as singing, juggling, and surfing.
It is much more important (and effective) to just get going and realize that there is pleasure in the learning process itself; there needn’t always be a goal.
This is in fact the attitude that most children take to learning; it’s simply that as adults we become preoccupied with achieving targets and striving for goals.
Another basic principle of good learning is to learn from our mistakes. This may sound obvious, but all too often we forget the importance of analyzing our actions.
It is tempting when practicing a given skill to simply repeat it over and over again, without properly analyzing after each repetition what went right and what went wrong.
You should also try to make sure that your practice is varied. This is perhaps less intuitive than deliberate practice, but is nonetheless an important tip that Vanderbilt emphasized.
Interestingly, it also seems that we learn better when we know that we will be required to teach the skill to others. The reason for this documented phenomenon is unclear.
He found that it helped the learning process to switch the objects and change how high he was throwing them. He also tried it while sitting down and walking.
It may be that the expectation of having to teach others increases our levels of curiosity, thus priming the brain to pay better attention and lay down stronger memory traces.
In his book, Vanderbilt talks about when he was learning to juggle. Rather than juggling in the same spot with the same balls, he mixed it up.
According to one scientist, this practice of “repetition without repetition” helps the brain to become more flexible and able to deal with unpredictable situations.
So next time you learn a new skill, why not imagine yourself teaching that skill to someone else? You may well find you pick it up more easily than you otherwise would.
Vanderbilt found that it can also be useful to watch other amateurs, because you can observe directly what they are doing right and what they are doing wrong.
Vanderbilt found, for example, that he was able to improve his drawing in the time it would normally take for him to binge watch a TV box set.
Watching others doing the skill that you are trying to learn is also helpful. But according to Vanderbilt, you shouldn’t restrict yourself to watching experts only.
Another practical tip is to choose a new skill that is easy to integrate into your current lifestyle. This will help you to avoid getting hung up on the idea that learning is a huge time investment.
In one study, a group of adults aged between 58 and 86 attended courses on a number of subjects. After a few months, they had made progress on those skills, but also improved in general cognitive tests.
By this point you may well be wondering, “but why bother?” It may seem unnecessary or even a waste of time to spend time learning a new skill when you already know what you’re good at.
However, research shows that there are multiple benefits to learning a new skill as an adult. For instance, you may be able to counter some of the mental decline that comes with age.
Even the frustration associated with learning a new skill may be beneficial. Research suggests that the ability to recognize the limits of our knowledge is important when it comes to thinking and decision-making.
Sources: (BBC)
See also: Life skills parents can teach their children for success
Vanderbilt suggests in his book that it’s best to practice multiple skills rather than focus on one in particular. Indeed, this may even increase your creativity.
In his book ‘Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World,’ David Epstein noted that Nobel Laureates are more likely to have pursued artistic interests than other scientists.
In fact, when it came to the general cognitive tests, the group of adults matched the performance of a group of adults 30 years younger than themselves.
This is what psychologists call “deliberate practice." Without it, practice is at risk of becoming futile.
Children are great at learning new skills, it's true. Their brains are simply better wired to pick up new patterns and they learn with an ease that just doesn't come naturally for older people. But there is still hope for those who want to learn something new a little later in life; our capacity for learning as adults is a lot greater than one might expect.
Check out this gallery for some tips on how to learn effectively at any age.
How to learn effectively at any age
Because new skills aren't just for kids
LIFESTYLE Adult learning
Children are great at learning new skills, it's true. Their brains are simply better wired to pick up new patterns and they learn with an ease that just doesn't come naturally for older people. But there is still hope for those who want to learn something new a little later in life; our capacity for learning as adults is a lot greater than one might expect.
Check out this gallery for some tips on how to learn effectively at any age.