By what age do most individuals achieve language competency equivalent to a native speaker?

Most individuals typically achieve language competency equivalent to a native speaker by around the age of 5 years. At this stage, children have usually mastered basic grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structures, enabling them to communicate effectively and understand complex language concepts. By age 5, children are often able to engage in conversations, tell stories, and use language to express thoughts and feelings with a level of proficiency that closely resembles that of an adult.

While children start to acquire language skills much earlier, around the age of 3, they are still in the process of expanding their vocabulary and understanding more complex language rules. By age 7, most children will have further refined their language abilities and can comprehend more nuanced language use, but the foundational competency is typically established by age 5. After age 10, language development focuses more on advanced skills, such as abstract reasoning and nuanced understanding of language, rather than achieving basic competency.