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What makes some people good at languages? | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : General discussion |  | |
| ChrisWebb Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 6261 days ago 181 posts - 190 votes  Speaks: English* Studies: Korean | Message 73 of 91 15 October 2007 at 5:44am | IP Logged | |||||
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I dont really think the question of what differentiates a polyglot from someone who acquires only a single second language is as interesting as the question of what differentiates those who fail to acquire a second language and those who succeed in acquiring one or more.
In my opinion it's far too easy to feel daunted by the size of a task and I think far too many people are deterred by unrealistic expectations, I think it is the American motivational speaker Anthony Robbins who has written that most people overestimate what they can achieve in a year yet underestimate what they can achieve in ten years, I suspect this is very true and that in general people overestimate what can be done quickly but underestimate what can be done given appropriate time. This sets them up for short term failure and short term failure breeds long term failure because people simply stop trying. The key to resolving this is to be realistic about what can be achieved in the short term. We should deal with a series of small tasks in our own time and as each small task is completed we should feel joy at the achievement and use that positive feeling in motivating ourselves to try a little more. Eventually we will get to our ultimate goal even though it may have seemed beyond us at the outset. In short I dont think it's self belief or intelligence in general that really makes the difference, it's realism. Other things like finding the most efficient means obviously help but it mainly boils down to finding a way to keep yourself moving forward and that requires more than anything else that you find a way of experiencing positive reinforcement. In terms of not understanding spoken language it may be that the difference between success and failure in listening might simply be in your attitude to the results you experience. You probably wont be able to understand every word the first time you listen, even if you know a lot of the words it will all likely be too fast, but you must surely be able to pick out some words/phrases, I know as a beginner watching Korean Drama I can pick out a few words/phrases here and there even though I watch with subtitles for enjoyment and not as a study exercise. I take each word/phrase recognised as a little victory, I do not regard an unregognised word/phrase as a defeat, a simple change of perspective would probably have me declare the task of learning Korean impossible, there are a lot of words I do not recognise. As it is i keep moving forward with a series of small successes, sure there is a long way to go and sometimes I move slowly but I am already closer than I was yesterday and tomorrow i will be closer still. Edited by ChrisWebb on 15 October 2007 at 6:17am 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| Zhuangzi Nonaglot Language Program Publisher Senior Member Canada lingq.com Joined 7026 days ago 646 posts - 688 votes Speaks: English*, French, Japanese, Swedish, Mandarin, Cantonese, German, Italian, Spanish Studies: Russian | Message 74 of 91 16 October 2007 at 11:14am | IP Logged | |||||
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I agree that realism is important. IN other words, recognize that it will take time, do not expect to be fluent in a few weeks. On the other hand one needs to feel confident that the effort will pay off.
In all of this, motivation remains key. To learn another language you need to imitate the behaviour of another cultural group. Not all language learners are either consciouisly or sub-consciously prepared to do this. So a certain cultural weightlessnes makes it easier to feel an affinity for another language or cultural, not all aspects of it, just some. We usually only imitate behaviour that we like. I also agree that we do not need to speak until we want to. I have been learning Russian for 15 months on my own and have hardly spoken. I can read and listen to novels in Russian and know over 20,000 Russian words. I am enjoying myself. When the need or opportunity to speak arises, I will learn to speak, quickly. I am sure of it. 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| xtremelingo Trilingual Triglot Senior Member Canada Joined 6285 days ago 398 posts - 515 votes Speaks: English*, Hindi*, Punjabi* Studies: German, French, Arabic (Written) | Message 75 of 91 16 October 2007 at 2:43pm | IP Logged | |||||
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Don't just learn the language or subject. Learn how YOU learn.
Learning how to learn is what will make you a very good learner in just about ANYTHING you study. 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| xtremelingo Trilingual Triglot Senior Member Canada Joined 6285 days ago 398 posts - 515 votes Speaks: English*, Hindi*, Punjabi* Studies: German, French, Arabic (Written) | Message 76 of 91 16 October 2007 at 2:45pm | IP Logged | |||||
Zhu,
You will be surprised. Speaking requires practice as well. 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| Earle Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 6313 days ago 276 posts - 276 votes Speaks: English*, German Studies: Norwegian, Spanish | Message 77 of 91 16 October 2007 at 4:17pm | IP Logged | |||||
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Wings, you were asking about my language history. Four years of school boy Latin - two of grammar and then Caesar, followed by Cicero. I had always wanted to learn another "undead" language, so I chose German. It was sort of a no-brainer because there were so many Germans in Huntsville, Alabama* (my next-door neighbors, for example, and, thus many opportunities for practice. I was around thirty when I got serious about it. My first move was to buy a book named "German made Simple," which I still consider to be an excellent book. I also bought a large number of German folk song vinyls from a shop named "The German Radio Center." Because Deutsche Welle thought that the store was actually radio station, they sent the proprietor, originally from Germany himself, boxes of books on tape, old fashioned reel to reel. I used those also. I progressed to point to where my German almost never recognized as my second language. I've managed to work in a number of trips to Europe, with most of my time being spent in the German-speaking regions, but with some time in the Scandinavia countries and Holland. In following years, I made abortive attempts at Spanish and Italian, but I never really got over the hump, so to speak.
Fast forward for a bit more than three decades (I'll be 68 in a couple of months), and my wife and I had the opportunity to make a three week trip to Norway. I hadn't been in over thirty years and my wife had never been. We have a dear friend who spends the summers there (he's originally Norwegian), and I decided to learn Norwegian. I bought the Pimsleur CDs and also a couple of other conversation-based courses. I bought a better Norwegian dictionary and a small one I could stick in a pocket. Also, I bought an excellent little book named "Norwegian in Ten Minutes a Day." I had three months, so I immersed myself and spent at least a couple of hours per night and kept the CDs playing every moment I was in my car. By the time we left in mid-August I could read newspapers, road signage, menus and the like with no problem and carry on simple direction and lodging conversations and the like. While I was there, my dictionary never left my pocket (my larger one was stolen by security in Amsterdam, so I had to buy a sticker-shock model in Oslo). My Norwegian will never equal my German, but I'm still improving. I'd like to add one comment - if one can't hear something, then one can't imitate it. Then, the ability to imitate is a separate skill and I think it's a god-given talent. There's no doubt that anyone can improve and do a creditable job, but we are not given equal athletic abilities, musical abilities and we are not given linguistic abilities which are equal... *For those not familiar with Huntsville, it's the home of Marshall Space Flight Center. In 1951, Werner von Braun and his German rocket team settled here, giving the town a strong German flavor. It's ironic, but there are now far more Japanese and Koreans (and about 80 other nationalities). 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| Zhuangzi Nonaglot Language Program Publisher Senior Member Canada lingq.com Joined 7026 days ago 646 posts - 688 votes Speaks: English*, French, Japanese, Swedish, Mandarin, Cantonese, German, Italian, Spanish Studies: Russian | Message 78 of 91 16 October 2007 at 5:33pm | IP Logged | |||||
Do not worry, when I have needed to speak I have done quite all right. Russian is not the first language I have learned relying mostly on input. To paraphrase earle , if you can hear it and understand it you will be able to speak it. 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| Obsolete Newbie United States Joined 6256 days ago 6 posts - 6 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish | Message 79 of 91 17 October 2007 at 2:05am | IP Logged | |||||
“I haven't failed, I've found 10,000 ways that don't work” “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration!” -Thomas Edison :D I believe some people are naturally inclined for language learning, particularly women, but anyone is who is willing to put in the work! I am not, frankly. Because I need to find a direct application for my life, and for me English is what maintains my social status. My ancestors have ditched many languages for English. Including German, French and probably Gaelic a long time ago. I don't mind, I like what works best. If there is no application for advancement, there is no motivation for me (or most people other than those motivated by other things). Most Americans don't speak 2nd languages fluently and while I'm not "fluent" I can converse and most (anglo) Americans are impressed or intimidated by this. Typically because they are too lazy to do so. Not that I'm exceptionally fit for language learning (which I'm not). Having an interest in etymologies does help though for someone with historical interest like myself. 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| Earle Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 6313 days ago 276 posts - 276 votes Speaks: English*, German Studies: Norwegian, Spanish | Message 80 of 91 17 October 2007 at 7:52am | IP Logged | |||||
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I, too, am fascinated with etymology. I have sort of a subconscious mental program running all the time, looking for cognates, mostly between English, German and Norwegian, but also French,Dutch, Italian and Spanish. When I'm traveling, for example recently in Norway, whenever I see an object I don't know the word for, out comes my pocket dictionary. I also carry a small phrase book. And, you are correct about most Americans being impressed and a bit intimidated by multilingualism. I can think of one funny incident, but I don't have time to relate it just now...
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