“Learning a language is easy, even a child can do it!”
Most adults who are learning a second language would disagree with this
statement. For them, learning a language is a very difficult task. They need
hundreds of hours of study and practice, and even this will not guarantee
success for every adult language learner.
Language
learning is different from other kinds of learning. Some people who are very
intelligent and successful in their fields find it difficult to succeed in
language learning. Conversely, some people who are successful language learners
find it difficult to succeed in other fields.
Language
teachers often offer advice to language learners: “Read as much as you can in the new language.”“ Practice speaking the language every day. ”“Live with people who speak the language.”“Don’t translate-try to think in the new
language.”“ Learn as
a child would learn; play with the language.”
But
what does a successful language learner do? Language learning research shows
that successful language learners are similar in many ways.
First
of all, successful language learners are independent learners. They do not
depend on the book or the teacher; they discover their own way to learn the
language. Instead of waiting for the teacher to explain, they try to find the
patterns and the rules for themselves. They are good guessers who look for
clues and form their own conclusions. When they guess wrong, they guess again.
They try to learn from their mistakes.
Successful
language learning is active learning. Therefore, successful learners do not
wait for a chance to use the language; they look for such a chance. They find
people who speak the language and they ask these people to correct them when
they make a mistake. They will try anything to communicate. They are not afraid
to repeat what they hear or to say strange things; they are willing to make
mistakes and try again. When communication is difficult, they can accept
information that is inexact or incomplete. It is more important for them to
learn to think in the language than to know the meaning of every word.
Finally,
successful language learners are learners with a purpose. They want to learn
the language because they are interested in the language and the people who
speak it. It is necessary for them to learn the language in order to
communicate with these people and to learn from them. They find it easy to
practice using the language regularly because they want to learn with it.
What
kind of language learner are you? If you are a successful language learner, you
have probably been learning independently, actively, and purposefully. On the
other hand, if your language learning has been less than successful, you might
do well to try some of the techniques outlined above.