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There are five factors that can influence how long it takes to learn a language, regardless of whether you study in a classroom or not.
01/26/2018 14:18 EST
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Having seen a lot of language learners, I am convinced that only motivated learners achieve fluency.
01/18/2018 13:44 EST
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The most important factor in your success will be your motivation to learn.
08/28/2017 10:52 EDT
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"I am not a neuroscientist but I feel increasingly that memory is not that big a factor in language acquisition."
07/31/2017 10:46 EDT
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The most important task in language learning, in my opinion, is the acquisition of vocabulary. If we have enough words, we can make sense of what we're reading or listening to and we can somehow express ourselves.
06/15/2017 04:52 EDT
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Conversation implies a two-way exchange of language. Therefore, reaching a conversational level implies quite a high level of comprehension, enough so that we can understand what is being said to us....
05/31/2017 01:32 EDT
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Subconscious language learning is a concept that leading language acquisition expert Stephen Krashen has demonstrated through extensive research, but is still challenged by many teachers. Though there is research to back up this theory that language is learned subconsciously, we are still not aware of how the language starts to stick in our brains.
05/17/2017 12:30 EDT
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"I just don't have time." This is one of the most common reasons people give for not being able to learn languages. I'm now retired, but I'm still quite busy. I play sports, make time for my family an...
03/02/2017 02:29 EST
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I always spoke English with my parents and I never had any sense that my communication with them was in any way inhibited. There was no pressure to learn German or Czech. If anything, my parents wanted me to learn French, which we studied at school without any great success.
01/18/2017 05:04 EST
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At the banquet of life, each language is another course. The better you can use languages, your own and others, the more you can enjoy the feast. At least that has been my experience. I have achieved varying degrees of fluency in 16 languages, and look forward to learning more. To me, there are three stages of language acquisition.
12/08/2016 04:01 EST
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It's literally a beginner's mistake, but it can add months, if not years, to your eventual fluency of your new language.
11/16/2016 07:47 EST
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The importance of a large vocabulary in your target language can't be overstated. Some are convinced we can converse quite comfortably with just a few hundred words. There are lots of articles on the topic. I don't agree.
10/13/2016 01:09 EDT
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People often ask me how I learned 15 languages. What's my secret? Read ahead and you'll find out.
09/08/2016 07:44 EDT
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One of the biggest myths I have come across though is that extroverts are the better language learners. I do not believe at all that you need to be an extrovert to learn a language. Language learning isn't about your personality type, rather it comes down to whether or not you possess the three keys.
08/09/2016 04:46 EDT
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The biggest benefit of speaking languages I've seen in my career is that it increased the opportunities that came my way. You do have to have other things working for you too, of course. You have to have other skills, like knowledge of a specific sector or market, the ability to do business and the ability to be a reliable, energetic person in any number of fields.
06/30/2016 10:31 EDT
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The quick answer on how to achieve fluency in a language is that it is a matter of motivation. Having seen a lot of language learners, I am convinced that motivated learners achieve fluency, and unmotivated learners don't.
05/09/2016 05:10 EDT
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Good language learners notice what is happening in a language. They notice the sounds, the structure and the vocabulary of the language. They notice as they listen and read. They notice when they use the language. How can we train ourselves in the ability to notice in order to become good language learners?
04/19/2016 10:42 EDT
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Making mistakes when speaking or writing a new language is not the same as making other kinds of mistakes, at least not to me. Making mistakes in language learning is not only necessary, it is a good sign. If you are not making mistakes, you are not trying hard enough to use the language.
03/23/2016 02:20 EDT
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Have you been studying a language for a while? Are you still afraid to speak? Follow the Language Learner's Manifesto and become confident and fluent in your chosen language. Repeat the following mantra daily: "My goal is to be fluent. I can be fluent. My goal is not to be perfect. My goal is to be fluent. I can be fluent and still make mistakes."
03/10/2016 05:23 EST
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Have you been studying a language for a while? Are you still afraid to speak? Follow the Language Learner's Manifesto and become confident and fluent in your chosen language. Repeat the following mantra daily: "My goal is to be fluent. I can be fluent. My goal is not to be perfect. My goal is to be fluent. I can be fluent and still make mistakes."
03/10/2016 05:23 EST
