6. Don’t believe the myths: age is just a number.
You are a monolingual adult: have you missed out on language opportunities? According to Ralby, “a significant language myth is that it is more difficult as an adult.” Adults and children learn in various ways, but this should not dissuade you from committing to learning another language. “Languages are both organic and organized. We learn languages organically and instinctively as children; as adults, we can study them systematically.”
If you’re still not convinced, Ralby recommends drawing inspiration from early philologists and linguistics founders who “learned dozens of languages to encyclopedic levels as adults.”
7. Rewrite some of your native languages.
Speaking your first language may come naturally to you, but it doesn’t guarantee you comprehend it well. According to Kerstin Hammes, editor of the Fluent Language Blog, you can’t make meaningful progress in a second language unless you comprehend your first. “I believe that learning your native language and how language works, in general, is critical before diving into a slew of foreign terms.”
8. Do not underestimate the value of translation.
At various stages of the learning process, different approaches may be required. Rebecca Braun, senior lecturer in German studies at Lancaster University, believes it is normal to perceive a slowing down in progress once you have reached a certain level of proficiency and can say quite a bit reasonably accurately. “Translation is such an important practice for helping you overcome a particular plateau that you will hit as a language student,” she explains. Translation activities do not permit you to paraphrase and push the student to the next level.”
9. Fluency should be avoided.
Many of the panelists were hesitant to use the F-word. But, according to Hammes, not only is it difficult to define fluency but “as a goal, it is so much more than it deserves to be.” Language learning never ends because it is a part of culture learning, personal growth, and continuous improvement. This, I feel, is where students go wrong.”
10. Travel to the location where the language is spoken.
Although it may not be an option for everyone, Braun reminds us that “if you are serious about learning the language and gaining direct enjoyment from what you have acquired, you must go to where that language is spoken.”
Traveling and living abroad can supplement classroom learning: “The books and verb charts may be the easiest method to ensure you expose yourself to the language at home, but once you arrive at the country where your language is spoken, the people and culture will far outclass them.”