Learning a foreign language can be such a daunting task. I had this interesting quirk as a kid where whenever I met someone new, I would ask them if they spoke any foreign languages. As a 12-year old, I had already been exposed to Spanish and was currently learning Arabic at school. I was shocked when I kept getting the same answer over and over again, “I took some Spanish in school, but I don’t remember any of it.” I was even more shocked when a few years later, I was abroad in Spain and discovered that most Europeans graduate high school proficient in a second language. If Europeans are doing it, why aren’t we Americans doing it too? I believe that it boils down to lack of proper language learning courses and emphasis in schools (which is a whole other issue and I will need to get into it in another article) and myths that we Americans are told from a young age. Well, let’s get into debunking these myths and hopefully in doing so, someone will gain enough confidence to embark on the wonderful, exciting journey that is learning a foreign language!
The 5 myths I will be covering are:
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Teaching an infant two languages at once (bringing them up bilingually) will cause speech delay causing them to fall behind their peers.
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You must be born with the language learning gene in order to become fluent in a second language.
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Most people in the world speak English anyway so there really isn’t any point in studying a foreign language.
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It is too hard for adults to learn new languages because their brains aren’t wired for it anymore.
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You have to go live in the country of the target language in order to achieve real fluency.
Myth #1: Raising children bilingually will cause them to fall behind
This misconception is the most heartbreaking to me because so many people could have grown up simply knowing two languages as opposed to those of us who have had to put blood, sweat, and tears into learning our second languages. Many non-native English-speaking parents living in the U.S. feel a lot of pressure to make sure their kids speak and understand English. Unfortunately, this has led many parents to only speak to their children in English and the children grow up without the skill of speaking their parents’ native tongue.
It has been proven that children who speak more than one language receive better scores on cognitive tests than their monolingual peers. Therefore, not only is it untrue that two languages will make children fall behind, it is true that they will actually likely be ahead of their peers!
Myth #2: You must be born with the language learning gene
This one always makes me laugh because we obviously all have the language learning gene because we have all done it once with our native language! It’s funny how quickly people forget that they weren’t just born knowing English, but actually did go through the process of acquiring that language. I do believe that it is easier for some people to learn foreign languages based on a variety of factors, but that doesn’t mean that they are the only ones who can!
We already know that there are different learning styles and that because of this, people do better when they learn using strategies from their particular learning style. If you think about how language is taught in schools here in America, they are generally catering to the visual learners. It should come as no surprise that having people sit in front of an open workbook and do language drills does not produce many fluent speakers. I would blame the language learning system first before you write yourself off as someone who just can’t learn languages.
Myth #3: You don’t need to learn a foreign language because most people already speak English
I wish that people could experience the feeling of finally being able to express a complete thought in a foreign language. Yes, you may not need to learn a new language in order to survive, but you are missing out! Language learning has been given such a bad wrap in the US. There is so much joy and fulfillment that comes from learning a new language.
Here is a list of a few of the benefits from learning a second language:
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Can meet new friends worldwide who have different perspectives and ideas
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Can travel more freely and experience the country more like a local
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Gain respect from speakers of the target language
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Delay the onset of alzheimer’s and dementia
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Improve brain health
Myth #4: Adults can learn foreign languages because their brains aren’t wired for it anymore
It is true that you will probably not be able to acquire another language as seamlessly as a young child, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t become an efficient language learner. As an adult, you have already acquired one language and therefore have something to go off of. You also have the ability to ask questions and look things up. As an adult, you have far more resources and the brains to utilize them.
I see so many adults who think they have past the window of time where they would have been able to learn another language. I want to shake these people and tell them “you could do it if you just try!” I think a major aspect of learning a second language as an adult is getting rid of the limiting beliefs you hold about your ability to learn languages. How would your language study change if you told yourself “I am so good at learning languages. I have even already mastered one! I speak my native language pretty darn well!” Yes, it sounds ridiculous and you might feel kind of silly, but I am a big believer in your brain only doing what it thinks it is capable of.
Myth #5: You need to move abroad where the language is spoken to achieve real fluency
I will admit that you will probably have an easier time learning the target language if you are completely immersed, but in my opinion, it is not necessary to achieve fluency. There are tons of people who live abroad and then come home having learned next to nothing of the foreign language. The air is not magically infused to make you fluent, trust me.
There are many methods you can use wherever you live to help immerse you in the language. Here are a couple of ideas:
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Switch your phone into the target language (make sure you have a basic understanding of the language first)
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Watch tv shows and movies in the target language
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Listen to music and podcasts in the target language
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Read books written in the target language
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Write in your journal in the target language
Conclusion:
Language learning is not the rocket science it is made out to be. Learning a language can be one of the most fulfilling things you do in your life. Don’t let these 5 myths discourage you from finally taking the leap to learn a second language! Be patient with yourself and find out what works for you.
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