If you are struggling to learn a new language, breathe, you're not alone. Adults famously find language learning more difficult than children, whose super-flexible brains actually grow the connections necessary to learn an additional language.

But, why is it so hard to learn a foreign language, anyway? Put simply, it's hard because it challenges both your mind and time. But there's more to it than that.

Have you ever wondered why some people sail through Spanish and others can barely mutter 'hola'? Well, there is research which suggests that our own brain's unique wiring can pre-determine language success. In a study conducted at McGill University, participants' brains were scanned before and after undergoing an intensive 12-week French course. Researchers found that stronger connections between brain centers involved in speaking and reading were seen in the better-performing participants. While this could mean that some people are simply cognitively better equipped for language learning, it doesn't mean that everyone shouldn't try.

After-work classes, study abroad, apps, talking with your foreign partner, working overseas, taking an intensive language course—there are so many ways to learn a language. However, it's clear that because adults have to, you know, be adults, we simply can't learn 'implicitly' as young children do, by following around a native speaker all day. Unfortunately, our more sophisticated grown-up brains come in the way of learning.