Myth busting: language learning

We decided to challenge some of the myths around language learning. It's all too easy to fall back on saying "It's too late to learn a language now" or "Well, they all speak such great English, so ...", but let's take a look at the facts!

1. It’s too late to learn a language once you’re an adult??

This is a very popular myth that we hear all the time, but it isn’t true!? In fact many studies have shown that adults outperform children in learning a second language.? Yes, children’s brains are more flexible and do form new neural connections more quickly than adults.? They can also pick up accents more easily.? But adults have significant advantages – awareness and knowledge of their own language, motivation, focus and good study skills all help.? So they can be much better at applying grammar rules and keeping going.??

So in fact it’s never too late to learn!???

1. Everyone speaks great English abroad – what’s the point??

It is certainly true that many people abroad speak great English, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t make an effort.? In a world where English is widely spoken and foreign colleagues are expected to speak in a non-native language while conducting business, it shows a genuine commitment to build better relationships by learning a little of their language. It’s a huge sign of respect.? And even if you only have some basics, that spark of realisation when an overseas colleague sees the effort being made will give an incredible boost!????

?And furthermore, not all foreign people love speaking English – some hate that they need to speak English in their own country,? and that visitors don’t even try.? They would far rather speak in their own language with you!?

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3. Language learning isn’t for me – I’m useless at languages?

We are all capable of learning a language – after all, we learnt our first language OK!? And no, British people don’t have different brains to the rest of the world!? In the UK, it’s mainly the lack of motivation and requirement to learn a second language that makes us think we are poor linguists.? Not forgetting our low numbers of language lessons at school, and starting at an older age compared with the rest of Europe.???

So truly anyone can learn a language.? It may be that negative experiences at school or fear of looking foolish play a role.?? But learning a language as an adult is entirely different – it’s fun, useful, satisfying, and with a good teacher to guide you, you can relax and take it at your pace.??

1. Why bother with a teacher – just use Duolingo?

Duolingo and other online apps are fantastic at getting learners started with some basic vocabulary and grammar.? They are accessible and encourage studying a little every day.? But the key drawback is the lack of opportunities to practise and interact in a natural way with real people. When you learn one to one with a tutor, being able to hear them speak, formulating your own response, and then receiving immediate feedback on your pronunciation and word choice builds your confidence and skillset very quickly.???

While the gamification features of an app can add interest at the start, they can take you away from your main focus of improving your language skills as you get sidetracked by scores. Regular sessions with a teacher keep you motivated, focused and on track to achieve your goals. You can read more here.??

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1. Translation apps mean you don’t need to learn a language anymore?

Computer-based speech recognition and translation apps are now widely available on our phones.? And there is no denying that these are fantastically useful for getting by.? But we should be wary still of their ability to translate and in fact interpret nuance and idioms, so misunderstandings may still occur.?? There are so many examples of auto translation mistakes and you probably wouldn’t even realise it’s happened.?

Speaking a language is about more than just converting words to and from English, it’s about different ways of interacting and thinking. It opens you up to new experiences and insights.??