Learning a second language for an adult is more academic.  They already have an internalized grammar of their native language that they use in reference to the second language.  They are also advantaged in their stage of development because they have the cognitive ability to analyze the workings not only of their own language, but also that of the second language.  Are there any disadvantages of learning a foreign language as an adult?  Yes, but they are probably not what you would expect!  First, due to this cognitive awareness, adults are fearful of making mistakes.  This fear will disable many of them from fully participating in the learning of the language because they do not want to feel embarrassed in front of their peers.  This in turn may affect the level of fluency that an adult attains or the time it takes to reach fluency.  Additionally, being goal oriented, adults often have unrealistic expectations for themselves in terms of learning a second language.   Horwitz, a pioneer in the study of students’ emotional responses to foreign language learning, found that around 40 percent of foreign language learners “believed they could—and should—be fluent in a foreign language after two years of courses. According to Horwitz, this goal is unrealistic and places undue pressure on the learner.”  And lastly, it is much more difficult for an adult to acquire a native-like pronunciation, although this is not impossible.