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42. The Attitude of a Linguist. Natural Learning Speaking a new language is natural. You need
only cultivate the latent capabilities that you already possess, but which need to be
properly stimulated. The way of the linguist is one that leaves you free to pursue your
own needs and interests, rather than having to learn according to an externally imposed
program. You develop skills that you have within you. You integrate with the target
language, listening and imitating rather than learning from theory.
Man is most nearly himself when he achieves the seriousness of a child at play.
- Heraclitus
Children learn languages using these natural methods. They just want to communicate. They
cannot read grammars, they do not do drills, they do not prepare for tests. They just naturally
want to learn. At birth, children of all nationalities have the same innate ability to learn a new
language. It is true that children normally learn their mother tongue, but they possess
a universal language instinct that will enable them to learn any language.
Children are exposed to a limited range of content which matters to them: the language
of their parents and their friends at play. They concentrate on the words and phrases
that are important to them and find opportunities to use them. They are not concerned about
making mistakes of pronunciation or grammar. Children absorb the language without resistance.
Unlike the classroom language learner, they are not constantly corrected but are encouraged
in their efforts to speak. Children learn naturally, but adults can learn
faster than children. When I studied Mandarin Chinese or Japanese I was able to read the
newspaper and have serious discussions within six months. It takes a child longer to reach
that level of vocabulary. Adults can use their greater knowledge and broader interests to
direct their learning, and can progress quickly. As a linguist, you should create your own
customized curriculum. If you control your learning, you will learn faster. In listening
and reading, comprehension depends on context. When listening to or reading material that
you have chosen and where the background is familiar, your comprehension is higher than
when you are struggling through uninteresting material. This is the natural way to build
confidence and fluency in a non-stressful way.
Gradually your range of interests will take you into new areas, thus expanding your language
ability. But the decision of what to study should be yours. Furthermore, if you accept
the responsibility to seek out your own content, you will take a major step towards cultivating
the self-reliant attitude needed for success in language learning.
Fred Genesee of McGill University, a leading researcher on language learning and the brain,
explains what happens when we learn a new language: When learning occurs, neuro-chemical
communication between neurons is facilitated, in other words a neural network is gradually
established. Exposure to unfamiliar speech sounds is initially registered by the brain
as undifferentiated neural activity. As exposure continues, the listener (and the brain) learns
to differentiate among different sounds and even among short sequences of sounds that
correspond to words or parts of words… Students' vocabulary acquisition can be enhanced when
it is embedded in real-world complex contexts that are familiar to them.
Through intensive and repetitive exposure to enjoyable language material you will bathe
your mind in the new language. This process is sometimes referred to as an "input flood"
which trains your mind and prepares it for the more difficult task of expressing yourself
in the new language. The linguist accepts the new language without resistance, confident
that with enough exposure the difficulties of the language will gradually be overcome.
Language learning is not primarily an intellectual activity. It requires enthusiasm and repeated
and concentrated exposure to language contexts that become familiar over time. I have often
observed that foreign professional athletes in North America are good language learners,
often more successful than foreign university professors. Hockey or basketball players are
able to deliver fluent interviews on television, whereas the more intellectual professors are
likely to have very strong accents and speak in a more stilted and unnatural manner. The
reason is that athletes have constant informal verbal interaction with teammates. They need
to fit into the team or they will not perform well. They learn quickly, immersed in the
comfortable and familiar environment of their sport.
Unlike the athlete on a team, most language learners are not exposed to constant and familiar
language contexts. That is why it is so important to create your own curriculum based on learning
contexts which cater to your interests and needs. Following your interests is the natural
way to learn. The greater your range of interests, the more curious you are about the world around
you, the better you will learn.