I hear a lot of concerns - mostly "convenient" excuses - about the futility of learning a foreign language as an adult. Everyone assumes they're too old to pick up another language. But in reality, nothing is further from the truth. There is a ton of research out there that shows that adults have every but as much potential to successfully learn a new language as children do. It really bugs me when people toss out phrases like "well, children are just like little sponges, they don't have to try to learn." You are a sponge too! But you have to compare the "water sources" to truly compare. I'll address more issues about age in later posts, but today let's compare opportunity for input and use.
Most children learn additional languages in school. They are in class at least 3-4 times per week, have homework assignments, and are held accountable with grades. Young children are often immersed in the language, even studying content like math and history through it. That means they are surrounded by the language 6-8 hours per day, 5 days per week, plus homework and socializing opportunity with classmates at lunch, recess, etc. That's a lot of input and practice opportunity! So their little "mental sponges" are basically dropped into a bucket of water... no wonder they seem to "soak it up" so quickly!
Adults, in contrast, might take a class once a week, for an hour, with some homework that they probably procrastinate on doing until the night before the next class. Or they buy a computer software program to learn the language, start strong for the first week or so, then get busy and lose motivation, slacking off to once or twice a week, and not practicing in between. There is no direct accountability, no required interaction with people in the language, and no effort to link the current lesson to daily life needs. Adults' "mental sponges," then, are left to sit on the table, and every now and then someone pours a spoonful of water on it. It soaks quickly to the surface, but then dries up again before any more water is added. No wonder it seems like we don't have the "absorbing capability" that children do!
So when we look at the variables of input and practice opportunity, you can see that we are not comparing apples to apples, as the saying goes. It is very unfair to attribute comparative success to biological ability, when there are clearly such powerful external factors at play, tipping the scales against us.
We'll look at more of these factors later, but for now, cross this excuse off your list, and take a proactive step to increasing the frequency of your input and practice opportunities. And remember:
A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. There's #1!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Today I signed up for Twitter: http://twitter.com/LauraSicola . Come follow me!
The pace of language learning opportunities is moving almost as quickly as these updates, so we need to keep up with what's new! Hopefully more people will realize that they have lots of control over how they learn foreign languages; they just need to discover their own language learning style, and start choosing smart strategies that work with their natural way of thinking.
Let's get this dialogue moving!
The pace of language learning opportunities is moving almost as quickly as these updates, so we need to keep up with what's new! Hopefully more people will realize that they have lots of control over how they learn foreign languages; they just need to discover their own language learning style, and start choosing smart strategies that work with their natural way of thinking.
Let's get this dialogue moving!
Monday, March 23, 2009
My personal language learning history
Hi everyone!
Today I thought I'd share a short version of my own "language learning history" with you, so you know that I've been where you are on many levels! Like many of you, I have had personal, academic, and professional reasons for wanting to learn foreign languages.
First, I studied Spanish in junior high and high school, because my grandmother was from Chile and I wanted to learn to speak her language. I am fluent in Spanish now, and get to use it from time to time with friends, when traveling, with people occasionally here in Philadelphia, and even sometimes for business. I'm so glad I have this language as a resource! But I still seek every opportunity to learn nuances and improve the naturalness of my communication whenever I can.
During my undergraduate university years, I decided to minor in Japanese because it seemed like a good business language. This course of study including a year abroad at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan. What an incredible experience! I spoke almost no Japanese when I first arrived. If you're going to study abroad, I highly recommend doing a "home stay" program and living with a family that doesn't speak English. I learned more in the months in the homestay than in twice that much time in a dormitory with other international students. And I am still in touch with my wonderful homestay family, now 15 years later!
After I graduated, I became a teacher, and later moved back to Japan again, this time to Nagoya for two years. It gave me a chance to brush up on my Japanese again through private study and life experiences. I've been back in the US for almost 8 years now, so my Japanese is okay, but rusty! It's hard to keep it up without a regular chance to practice.
I have also dabbled on and off in studying Italian as an adult, but informally when I have time, as a hobby. I try to pick up bits and pieces as I can, using strategies I have learned over years of studying, teaching, and conducting formal research on language learning. I'm still a beginner in Italian, but I love to "play" with the language any chance I get. I am constantly putting my own theories to the test!
So no matter what language you are trying to learn, or what stage you are at, I have been there. I understand learning a language out of curiosity, as well as out of necessity. And I have studied through formal institutional programs, and piecemeal, taking little moments of opportunity and trying to create my own program. I understand and share your frustrations, your anxieties, and your triumphs.
I'll tell you about some of my experiences teaching English and Spanish, as well as what I have learned through my research, in other blogs. But for now I invite you to share your questions about language learning with me. Send them to me via e-mail at ForeignLanguageCoach@gmail.com , and I will post the answers here so we can all learn together on this language journey.
- Laura
Today I thought I'd share a short version of my own "language learning history" with you, so you know that I've been where you are on many levels! Like many of you, I have had personal, academic, and professional reasons for wanting to learn foreign languages.
First, I studied Spanish in junior high and high school, because my grandmother was from Chile and I wanted to learn to speak her language. I am fluent in Spanish now, and get to use it from time to time with friends, when traveling, with people occasionally here in Philadelphia, and even sometimes for business. I'm so glad I have this language as a resource! But I still seek every opportunity to learn nuances and improve the naturalness of my communication whenever I can.
During my undergraduate university years, I decided to minor in Japanese because it seemed like a good business language. This course of study including a year abroad at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan. What an incredible experience! I spoke almost no Japanese when I first arrived. If you're going to study abroad, I highly recommend doing a "home stay" program and living with a family that doesn't speak English. I learned more in the months in the homestay than in twice that much time in a dormitory with other international students. And I am still in touch with my wonderful homestay family, now 15 years later!
After I graduated, I became a teacher, and later moved back to Japan again, this time to Nagoya for two years. It gave me a chance to brush up on my Japanese again through private study and life experiences. I've been back in the US for almost 8 years now, so my Japanese is okay, but rusty! It's hard to keep it up without a regular chance to practice.
I have also dabbled on and off in studying Italian as an adult, but informally when I have time, as a hobby. I try to pick up bits and pieces as I can, using strategies I have learned over years of studying, teaching, and conducting formal research on language learning. I'm still a beginner in Italian, but I love to "play" with the language any chance I get. I am constantly putting my own theories to the test!
So no matter what language you are trying to learn, or what stage you are at, I have been there. I understand learning a language out of curiosity, as well as out of necessity. And I have studied through formal institutional programs, and piecemeal, taking little moments of opportunity and trying to create my own program. I understand and share your frustrations, your anxieties, and your triumphs.
I'll tell you about some of my experiences teaching English and Spanish, as well as what I have learned through my research, in other blogs. But for now I invite you to share your questions about language learning with me. Send them to me via e-mail at ForeignLanguageCoach@gmail.com , and I will post the answers here so we can all learn together on this language journey.
- Laura
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