Keys to Learning a New Language

“It’s a myth that intelligent people are better at learning languages,” says Anne Merritt in this article in The Telegraph (summarized in The Language Educator). “Most language learning skills… are in fact habits, which can be formed through a bit of discipline and self-awareness.” She lists five ways language learners can soar:

• Listen a lot. Find music, podcasts, TV shows, and movies in the target language and “listen, listen, listen as often as possible,” says Merritt.

• Be curious about the culture. “The culturally curious students will be more receptive to the language and more open to forming relationships with native speakers,” she says.

• Guess and have fun. Clutching a dictionary and trying to understand every grammar rule won’t work. “Find a song or text in the target language and practice figuring out the gist, even if a few words are unknown,” says Merritt.

• Use a variety of methods. Don’t get stuck in a learning rut. Practice different skills and see concepts explained in different ways.

• Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. “The more learners speak, the quicker they improve,” concludes Merritt. 

“Five Common Mistakes Language Learners Make” by Anne Merritt in The Telegraph (UK), December 19, 2012, summarized in The Language Educator, February 2013 (Vol. 8, #2, p. 10), www.tinyurl.com/five-mistakes-merritt 

From the Marshall Memo #474