Learning a Language

Recently I have an increasing number of friends ask me to help them learn English. I think that because I assist/teach elementary school students, my friends assume that I am capable of teaching them English. In fact, this is very wrong. I have zero clue where to start or how to go about it. I'm not even good at English myself. It has got me thinking though, where would I start if I was to try? I tell them to learn the basics, listen to english shows or music, and read as much as you can. But that really isn't a plan or a process for learning the language. There needs to be progression through understanding. At university I minored in Japanese. I was never very good at Japanese, but why? Others seemed to grasp it so quickly, while I had to work to understand (this applied to other areas of my studies as well).

Now that I have time to dissect why. It seems more clear now. Simply put, everyone has different aptitudes for learning different things. This sounds cheap, but some people just excel. Some people, like myself, have learning disabilities. Some people just don't care about what they are learning. Some people care so they do better and work harder towards their goals. It's a tough pill to swallow but not everyone is created equal. That doesn't mean that you can't do it! You just have to work harder. Working harder at something gives you a much better understanding of that thing. Turn those negatives into positives! The mind and attitude greatly affect your learning abilities. Part of the reasons children and adults learn things so differently is not only because of brain development. They have very different interests, attitudes, and intentions. Children keep things fun and they have a system. Children go to school, that's just the way it works. Adults have more responsibilities, less time, usually the intent to learn something new is a choice. Depending on ones discipline, that freedom of choice can be a gift or a curse. One thing is certain, the more fun something is the easier it is to do and grasp it.

There are factors that naturally boost language acquisition. Being present and immersed in the language helps immensely. You will gain the ear and the tongue for the language by using it and hearing it. Textbook and written language sometimes differs from spoken language (depends on the language, Japanese differs). That came as a shock to me, I felt like those three years I studied Japanese had not prepared me for my battles ahead. Of course reading, and reading a lot, will prime you to the language. Your vocabulary and understanding of the language mechanics will increase at a steady rate. But the starting out is so so rough. Learning the basics (alphabets, sounds, structures, etc.) is quite fun, its that new feeling of progress. On the other hand, reviewing lists of vocabulary is such a mind numbing activity. Reading the kids books and the level appropriate content is aggravating. The interests of the learner are not present in these materials. Something I did was picked an area of interest in the language and pursued that. This keeps me driven, it keeps studying fun. For me, I love Japanese dialect. I find it so interesting. Does it really help with promoting my level of Japanese? not really, no. It's something that I use as a safety net to ensure that I stay studying, talking, and practicing. If I'm studying and I get bored, I study dialect. If I want to socialize, I ask my friends or people I meet to teach me some dialect. It also impresses and confuses the locals when you don't really understand the language but you understand the dialect. Like I said, it doesn't really build on anything but it keeps me studying and using the language. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, sound stupid, or have an accent. Even if all you say is "good morning" or "how are you?" it's an effort forward. Small wins everyone, small wins. Another very very important thing that really changes the way you learn and use a language is to stop translating. Just let the words flow in and out of your mind like they do in your native tongue. This skill takes a while to accumulate, but the more you learn the language the easier this becomes. This skill will catapult your ability to understand and speak. Even in conversation if you understand the context of what you are talking about, you can understand way more than you actually know. Again these types of skills come later down the learning line. It's ok, you'll get there.

recently, I have been putting a lot of time and effort into learning how to learn and how the brain functions. I will put all those thoughts together to share in a series of posts.