Myth #4 – Too Old to Learn a Language

I’ve heard people enrolled in mandatory language classes complain that they are never going to succeed because they are “too old to learn a second language.” It’s a good excuse, but no one is really too old to learn another language.

While children and teens are generally accepted as the better language learners in a natural environment; adults are certainly able to learn a second language to a high degree of proficiency as well. I have a friend who learned Italian as an adult. Italians think she’s a native speaker, just from a different city.

Perhaps what makes adults feel they are too old to learn a language is the difference in the effort involved for them vs. the effort for children. Language acquisition for children seems effortless in a natural environment; whereas the adult is very conscious of his/her learning and is highly affected by his/her attitudes and motivation, anxiety levels, and willingness to communicate. These are the true impediments for an adult learner to overcome: fear, anxiety, motivation, and attitude.

The effect of age on language learning is a hotly debated linguistic topic (the Optimal Age Theory, Maturation Theory, Critical Period Hypothesis). Most of these theories explore whether or not the ability to learn a second language diminishes after puberty. Results are controversial and provide ongoing debate in linguistic circles. There does seem to be a definite advantage, however, in terms of native-like pronunciation for children as a group. Notwithstanding, adults, too, can achieve native-like pronunciation, just not as consistently as a group. And adults and teens are actually better at many aspects of overt language learning than children, at least, initially.

Another consideration for adult language learners is personality. Linguistic studies on which personality traits correspond to good language learning seem to indicate that risk-takers and those with a high tolerance for ambiguity are better at learning a new language. This doesn’t mean you can’t be a good language learner if you are a careful person and need to understand everything. It just means that learning a new language is easier for those who are comfortable with guesswork, split second decisions, looking silly and making mistakes (all important aspects of learning another language).

To those who use age as a reason not to learn a language, I would like to point out that as we age, learning a second language, even in a classroom setting, can be extremely beneficial. It’s a great way to keep the mind active. A classroom setting for language learning does require memorization of vocabulary lists and grammar rules, tasks that involve short-term memory.  This may not be comfortable for some seniors whose short-term memory may be affected by age.  However, seniors report that they feel that studying a language is an overall boon: it improves their enjoyment of life and their self confidence.

So don’t give up on language learning if you are 30+. For adults, learning a language is indeed about the A word: but that word is more likely “Attitude,” than “Age.”

Myth #3 - Speak Only English at Home

I have heard many teachers with good intentions tell immigrants that they need to speak English at home to their child so the child’s English and school work will improve. This is not good advice from a linguistic and cultural point of view. 

While it is true that the key to success in a new country is language, children will learn a second language best if they have a firm foundation in a first language and a first cultural identity. From there, they can transfer knowledge to the new language and the new culture. It is important to have a strong foundation in a first language and a first culture so that what is learned about the new language and culture can be built upon that foundation.  This creates true bilingualism where both languages are strong and both cultures and cultural identities are valued.

If a parent’s proficiency level in English is not good, it is far better for them to give their children the gift of a solid first language by speaking and reading the native language to them in all its richness and complexity.  This language richness (the idioms, the rhetorical devices, the proverbs, the vocabulary, clichés) is the foundation upon which the child’s knowledge of a second language can grow. A rich first language will help the child succeed far better than trying to speak to him or her in not-so-perfect English.

Essentially, the important point to remember is that language learning is all about INPUT. You’ve heard of “garbage in = garbage out” for computers? The same is true in learning a second language. If you have good quality language going in, you’ll have good quality language coming out. So, if poor quality language input (broken English without idioms, expressions, proverbs, cliches) is going in, the child will not have a good first language foundation to build upon.

In a past life, I spent a year or two teaching children of Mexican immigrants. These children’s parents spoke to them in a mix of poor English and Spanish. The children had extremely low English skills although it was, for them, their native language. Socially, they had difficulty as well because they didn’t really belong to either culture. Healthy bilingualism means there is a strong identity with both cultures and both languages.

The final lesson: Don’t listen to teachers who say immigrants must speak English to their children at home. It is a myth that this helps a child succeed in school and life.  Give children the gift of true bilingualism by speaking, reading and writing in the first language and showing the value and richness of that language and culture.