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 #2 – Best Teaching Strategy = Grammar

Learning a language by studying grammar can be traced back to the 19th century Grammar/Translation Method of language instruction. This method has been proven consistently to be one of the most ineffective language teaching strategies — and yet it is alive and well in many parts of the world, including (and surprisingly so) the capital of a bilingual country (ahem, C_n_d_-- your French language programs, particularly). 

This grammar-based teaching strategy has been justifiably criticized for teaching about the foreign language without ever teaching how to use the language. Learners can take foreign language classes based on this teaching strategy for years and years, yet never know how to communicate in real life. 

Why do language schools continue to use this teaching strategy despite its ineffectiveness?

• It’s the easiest way to teach a language.
• The teacher is in control the entire time.
• It lends itself to relying on a textbook and exercises.
• It is traditional. Many people think this is the only way to teach a language.
• It doesn’t require specialized training on how the brain acquires information.
• It is very easy to assess.

Using a method or combination of teaching strategies that are appropriate for language development is much more difficult for the teacher. It requires:

• understanding how to analyze needs and assess language proficiency (apart from a written test)
• giving up control and allowing students to practice
• much more student-centred structure and teaching strategies
• a significant amount of effort being put into the design phase
• willingness on the part of students to participate in classes with teaching strategies other than lecture, notes, written exercises and tests.

A combination of methods and teaching strategies are the tools of a professional second language instructor who is more than just a native speaker of the language. And it results in learners being able to do more than just conjugate verbs and answer grammar questions in the new language. They can actually understand and use the language to communicate.