Learning a language is not for everyone. Some people find it very difficult and stressful; others actually enjoy the mental challenge and still others (although these are rare people) find it easy to learn a foreign language. Recently, there has been a lot of interest in trying to define the characteristics of a 'good' language learner. Here are four examples - can you select the person who is likely to make the best language learner from these descriptions of their needs and personalities?
Perhaps it is best to take a typical example at the outset. Fred Brown had to retire last year because of a bad heart. He went to Spain for a holiday and decided he liked the country and the people so much he would like to learn the language. He already speaks good French and a little Italian and he thinks these will give him a head start in learning another Latin language. He sees language learning as a detective game: he hunts for clues and likes to find the answers himself. He knows that language learning is hard work, but he gives himself a little to learn each day. He listens to himself and usually knows when he has made a mistake. He knows exactly what sort of Spanish he wants to learn and is only interested in that.
Mary Green has friends in Athens and she has been to Greece several times. Through her friends she met a Greek working in London and now they are engaged to be married. They plan to live in London but she feels she must learn Greek to talk to her future in-laws. She is going to Greek cookery classes as well. She says she is 'hopeless at languages' and she hated the French teacher at school. She thinks language is all about talking and she tries to experiment with the language she knows: she takes risks. She is rather lazy about reading Greek and 'switches off' when she sees it written down. She finds the classes a bit boring because she is not learning the things she wants to learn but she has not spoken to the teacher about this.
In total contrast to someone who has the need to integrate into a family situation, however, is John Freeman. John's company is starting to sell sportswear in France next May and John will have to visit Marseilles four times a year. There will be a local agent so he will not have to negotiate in French. He has been to France on holiday three times and knows a few words already. He enjoyed the sunshine but doesn't really like foreigners: "They're all a funny lot." He is a very precise person who always likes to be accurate and doesn't like to make a fool of himself. He does not speak any other languages and is motivated to learn French because of his work. He knows that language can be described as a series of rules and he tries hard to learn the system. He likes the teacher to translate so that he can be sure he has understood exactly what every word means. He is not interested in wasting his time guessing. He has not thought about what kind of French he needs to learn.
Jane Smith, on the other hand, hasn't even started work so she won't have the strong motivation that working in a language gives people who are trying to sell their products. However, she doesn't think that foreigners are strange people and she isn't frightened of making mistakes because 'it's all a bit of fun'. She has now finished her first school examinations and, although she is going on to study science in the 6th Form, she doesn't want to forget the German she has studied. She can't bear writing, though, and is impatient with herself when she makes grammatical mistakes. She doesn't really know why she is continuing to learn and she has already said that if her German studies take up too much of her time, she will drop them and focus on 'real' work.
All of these learners have their own reasons and they are all different in how they approach the task and what they think learning is all about. The experts' view is that people who have a clear idea of the reasons for learning will do well and, on that basis, Fred Brown, John Freeman and Mary Green are clearly advantaged. However, it is also true that those who take risks and experiment do well and here John doesn't do too well. Additionally, those who have high motivation and regular exposure to the language do well and here, of course, John and Mary may have the edge over people like Jane. There's also a case to be made that for those who enjoy learning and don't care too much about making mistakes, success can come easily.
The person with the lowest motivation is probably ...
Fred
Mary
John
Jane
John Freeman is learning French ...
... only for professional reasons.
... to be able to make business deals in French.
... to integrate into the French business community.
... because he needs to go to Marseilles.
Mary Green is learning Greek because ...
... she needs it for professional reasons.
... she is going to cookery classes in Greek.
... she wants to live in Greece.
... she wants to be able to talk to her family.
Fred Brown's approach to learning is best described as ...
... making full use of the Spanish he already knows.
... problem solving.
... working hard every day.
... talking to and learning from Spanish speakers.
Jane ...
... has taken examinations in German.
... thinks that learning German will help her 6th Form studies.
... isn't bothered about any mistakes she makes.
... makes a lot of written mistakes.
Fred, John and Mary have an advantage because ...
... they know what they want to learn.
... they understand the structure of language.
... they know why they are learning the language.
... they aren't afraid to experiment.
Contact with native speakers helps you to learn, so ...
... John and Mary will have an advantage.
... Jane will have an advantage.
... Fred will be at a definite disadvantage.
... Jane and John will be at a disadvantage.
Learning a language is not for everyone because ...