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The Truth About Language Learning:
Myths, Facts, and Strategies for Success
Laura Sicola
For a large number of us, life abroad means not only new currency, new food, and new cultural norms, but also a new language. Simple proficiency in the language can often be the key to accessing the wonderful world that is, literally, just outside the door. The parallel, of course, is that not learning the language ends up leaving many people – especially women in the trailing spouse role – feeling isolated.
Yet many believe they are too old to start a new language, fear that the task is too big, or simply are convinced – usually from an unpleasant experience in high school – that they are simply not good language learners. To all three, I say: untrue!
Allow me to address these three myths that frequently stop people from learning a language and offer some tips to help you hit the ground running on your linguistic and cultural journey.
Myth 1: I Am Too Old
Trust me when I tell you that there is tons of research that shows that adults have every bit as much potential to learn languages as children do, and even some advantages over children. One advantage that children have, though, is attitude: children do not hold themselves back. They do not worry about making grammar mistakes. They do not have lots of emotional baggage telling them that they might not succeed. When you ask what they learned in school that day, they do not qualify their answer with, “I learned how to multiply double digits today, but I still have to learn division, algebra, geometry and calculus. It is no use, I will never finish!” Take notes, mothers: Each item learned is a success. Period.
Myth 2: I Will Never Be Fluent
Is your goal really to become completely fluent, indistinguishable from native speakers? For the vast majority of us, the answer is no. So what is it you really want to do? Go food shopping and do “daily life” stuff around town? Participate in office chat by the water cooler to establish a better relationship with co-workers? Talk with other mothers at the schoolyard while waiting for your kids? From this angle, you can see that the task is really quite manageable.
The key here is to set both long-term and short-term goals for yourself. Think about what you would like to be able to do by the end of your term abroad. Write your goals down somewhere, and refer back to them occasionally, revising them as you please. No goal is too big, small, or too silly. Wanting to interview for a job in the local language is just as valid as wanting to be able to watch local soap operas on television. All that matters is that your goal needs to motivate you.
In terms of short-term goals, they can be a decision to learn three new words every day, or to complete a language-learning unit in your computer software program within two weeks. Functionally, it could be to open a bank account by the end of the month, or to make small-talk with one stranger twice a week at the market in order to help you overcome your anxiety about using the language in public. Suggestion: ask them if the brand of cereal/sauce/cracker they are holding is tasty. It is okay if you do not fully understand the answer – just remember your goals and be courageous enough to practice.
You can vary your goals or repeat them, asking the same question to different people every day for a month… nobody will know except you, and it will get easier with practice. It is okay if you do not meet each goal every time, but reward yourself when you do. Record your experiences and goal results occasionally so that you can go back and see your progress. You may not feel the change in your ability from day to day, but the log will help you see how far you have actually come, and that is very encouraging!
Myth 3: I Am Not Good At Learning Languages
The question is not whether you are a good language learner, but whether you have found a method that works for your individual learning style. Much like in dieting, where some people are fine with the high protein/low carbohydrate program, but others would sooner lose a toe than give up chocolate, the same variety exists in language learning preferences. Some people love textbooks and formal classroom learning, while other people's eyes glaze over upon seeing a verb conjugation chart, and want to crawl under their desks when it is time to do role-plays in class. Some might enjoy the autonomy of a computer program, while for others, the idea of sitting in front of a monitor could be mind-numbing.
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| Ask yourself questions such as whether you: |
| • Like to memorize rules or would rather try to decipher examples first. |
| • Need lots of audio, visual, and/or kinesthetic (physical) input. |
| • Appreciate “thinking time” to prepare, or like to “wing it” and see what works. |
| • Prefer to work independently or interactively. |
| • Require a set routine or like flexibility. |
Recognition of these preferences can help you be proactive, as well as help you understand why some people do better at certain tasks than you do: they are not smarter than you are, it is just that the activity suits their style better.
Learning partners can be great resources, no matter what your learning style. You can motivate each other to attend class, work through assignments together and hold each other accountable. A pocket notepad is also a great tool to jot thoughts, words/phrases and questions to be addressed later. If you think there is something exciting about new notebooks, highlighter pens and brightly-colored Post-it™ notes, why not indulge the enthusiasm and invest a few extra dollars, euros, yen etc. to help make learning fun?
Ultimately, there is no “best” way to learn. No system is a perfect fit and no two classrooms or teachers are the same, but you can customize your program to make it work for you. You can succeed, so make the most of your language opportunities, and make your new community truly feel like home!
Laura Sicola, PhD, is a language coach who works with individuals and organizations to help people identify their learning style and develop customized language-learning plans to ensure maximum success. She speaks English, Spanish and Japanese, and has dabbled in many other languages. She is also a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA and has worked with children and adults in academic, corporate, and other settings, both in the US and abroad. For further information, visit her blog Ask The Foreign Language Coach, or visit http://www.sicolaconsulting.com or send e-mail to Laura@SicolaConsulting.com.
April 2009
