10 misunderstandings about language learning. How many did you score?

You may know from previous articles that I spent less than 5 years to get from Absolute 0 Chinese level to HSK 6 (highest). In different conversations with Chinese people about the topic, I started noticing some misunderstandings in the way they generally think about foreign language learning, although I have a feeling that these misunderstandings might be general to all those who struggle with language learning.

Given the amount of people who struggle with foreign language learning, in this article I will summarize some research I've done regarding the psychological elements that negatively influence progress in foreign language learning. Hopefully, after reading this article you should be more equipped to create a language learning environment for yourself, regardless of the foreign language you are trying to learn.

1、I don’t have a language environment

I heard many Chinese people wishing they would live abroad in an English speaking country so that they can improve their language skills. However, following this logic, isn't China the best environment to learn Chinese? So why aren't all the foreigners living here fluent in Chinese? Even though there are many reasons at stake for why this doesn't happen, the point is that location is just a small part of the language learning environment. 

Personal determination and motivation to create a learning environment for the self play a bigger part in language learning and that is not location linked.

2、Living abroad will help improve language skills

Although it would make sense for this statement to be true, why isn't this always the case? When we travel abroad, depending on our destination, we might face cultural shock. The cultural differences between Western and Eastern countries are familiar to many, but it is only once you get to live in that particular country that you realize exactly how big these differences are. It then depends on the individual and how willing one is to do as the Romans do when in Rome. Low adaptability will make many people stick to their comfort zones (eat same food, speak same language as back home etc.), which is why you have so many Chinatowns around the world and so many foreigner bubbles in Chinese cities (different location, same environment).

3、There is no point to listen if I don’t understand

Can babies say "Mom, shut up! I don't understand what you are saying"? Of course not! They have no idea what "I don't understand" means. They have no choice but to listen to the sounds around them. Through sound they start making sense of the world. However, as adults we have the choice of blocking out sounds we don't understand for fear that we are wasting time listening to stuff we don't understand, thus we end up limiting our learning potential. 

4、Learning a foreign language is hard

When asked, many people believe that their lack of progress in language learning is given to the difficulty of the language they're learning. However, language in itself is a representation of culture ad a way of thinking, so the difficulty actually lies in changing the way we think and act, as well as in being willing to get out of our comfort zones. Focusing less on the language itself rather than the content can make the learning process not only easier, but also faster.  

5、I don’t have the opportunity to “use” the language

Having heard many people complaining about this, I started asking myself what is it that people actually mean by the word "use". I later on realized that they actually meant "speak" (output). However, if there is no input, there can't be any output. Input is a very important aspect of language learning, as such we can "use" our ears to listen to language, as well as our eyes to read or watch movies. Actually, no matter what we do, we always use language, regardless of whether we are aware of it or not. Not having the opportunity to speak a language is not an excuse not to listen and read books in the language we want to learn every day.

6、Only talented people can learn foreign languages

Whenever I hear this, I can't help asking Chinese people whether they needed any talent to learn Mandarin Chinese, considering that most people have a dialect as mother language. Learning Mandarin Chinese, the same as in the case of the native dialect, was forcefully imposed by the environment. This being the case, isn't it just a matter of choice to create a language learning environment for ourselves? Doesn't this go back to the idea of choice? Language learning doesn't need talent. It just needs a choice to impose a language learning environment on oneself. 

7、I only want to learn authentic English

It took me a while to crack this one and figure out what is it that Chinese people really refer to when they express their desire to learn authentic English. What they meant was actually wanting to have a clear accent. Now the question is how to define an authentic accent when, for example, only in London you have at least 6 types of accent. Whose accent is more authentic? Rather than debating this issue, I would argue that the most important is to be able to make one's point understood. Mutual understanding and inclusion are far more important than any accent.

8、I need to finish English classes first, attend social events later

Having organized so many bilingual events, I lost count of the times I heard this one when talking to different people. Even though attending English classes is ok, relying only on the time spent in the classroom to learn, one ignores any learning opportunity outside the classroom. Language should be embedded in everyday life in order to speed up the learning process. 

9、No foreigners around, so no language environment

Needless to say why this is wrong, wrong, wrong! However, I need to say that even if foreigners were swirling around, if the English level would be too limited, not much conversation would happen anyway. Everyone would just become very frustrated: the Chinese person for not being able to express what they want and the foreigner for not understanding what the conversation is actually about. Of course, having foreigners around can help to have output (speak), but not without focusing first on as much input (listening, reading) as possible when they are not around.

10、I can learn English only from native speakers

This one also depends on the language level that you find yourself at. For an absolute beginner to learn English from a native speaker that has never experienced learning a second language might be an extremely frustrating process. You might argue that the native speaker may have specialized degrees, but I personally think that theory without practice is equal to 0. In other words, preaching about some learning methods that one is not willing to apply for themselves is not a personality trait of someone that would motivate me (personally) to learn anything. 

Although this article focuses more on Chinese people learning English, I believe that many findings are universally true. Learning a foreign language implies the same psychological barriers no matter our nationality and the language we are trying to learn. Each of us can create a language learning environment for ourselves to allow ourselves to progress in the shortest time! And we should start with breaking the mental barriers that limit our progress.

What is your experience/struggle with language learning? Feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of the article.?