Welcome to another week of Dear Duolingo, an advice column just for learners. Catch up on past installments here . Hi again! If you’ve ever thought about learning a new language, there’s a good chance this week’s question has crossed your mind before. The answer is more complex than you may think! Our question this week: Late to the Party, you are not late to the party! While it’s true that there’s a period during childhood when our brains seem better adapted to absorb a language (experts call this the “critical period”), there’s a lot more to it than that—as well as a lot of reasons why it shouldn’t stop you! Let’s take a look. What is the critical period? The “critical period” refers to a period during childhood in which language learners seem to have the easiest time picking up a language. Kids’ brains are built to learn language —that much we know! But some big questions remain: When does the critical period end?…