second language
noun
: a language that is learned in addition to the language a person first learned as a young child
Examples of second language in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Research shows that learning a second language can improve these areas of cognition:11
Attentional switching
Functional connectivity
Inhibition
Working memory
Play an Instrument
Learning to play an instrument is, in many ways, similar to learning a new language.
—
Sarah Bence, Verywell Health, 24 Sep. 2024
Who among us doesn’t feel — either occasionally or always — like social codes are a chaotic second language that other people were born speaking like a mother tongue?
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2024
The effects are greatest for low-income students, students with disabilities, and children learning English as a second language, who faced educational inequities prior to the pandemic that have only worsened today.
—Anna North, Vox, 19 Sep. 2024
Our programs integrate content courses in a second language and intercultural competence, expanding your career opportunities around the world.
—Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2023
See all Example Sentences for second language 
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Sarah Bence, Verywell Health, 24 Sep. 2024
Who among us doesn’t feel — either occasionally or always — like social codes are a chaotic second language that other people were born speaking like a mother tongue?
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2024
The effects are greatest for low-income students, students with disabilities, and children learning English as a second language, who faced educational inequities prior to the pandemic that have only worsened today.
—Anna North, Vox, 19 Sep. 2024
Our programs integrate content courses in a second language and intercultural competence, expanding your career opportunities around the world.
—Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2023
See all Example Sentences for second language
Dictionary Entries Near second language
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“Second language.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/second%20language. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
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