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The good news is: it is certainly possible for an adult to learn a new language (let us discuss learning English, here) well and easy; in fast and fun ways, too. In fact, any person, at any age, before or after adulthood, can learn any language well – provided s/he gets authentic information and regular practice; and English is known to be the most common and easy language to learn, this way.
Many of us must have read the famous works of Joseph Conrad; and one of the first things that our teachers told us about him was that the great author of books like ‘Lord Jim’ (that was a text for us English Literature students) had begun to learn speaking English fluently only after his boyhood!
There are many individuals about whom it is known that they have learnt speaking English fluently well after adulthood – for the sake of their careers, mostly; or due to some other reasons, too.
We see then that adults can certainly learn English well, given certain favourable conditions.
Let us now explore the various interesting ways and means by which an adult can learn a new language to great satisfaction.
The first things that one needs to have, in order to learn a language, are a compelling interest in learning it, and an enthusiasm to take this interest further. Without these two elements, it can get very difficult for anyone to learn anything, at any age. Interest and enthusiasm could arise out of the necessity for learning a language, or even without any great necessity as such, but it is also a fact that interest and enthusiasm for learning can thrive the best in a stress free atmosphere.
The nicest way to learn is learning with pleasure. The reason why children can simply pick words and expressions up while playing, travelling, eating! They do it so well because they do it unconsciously; they do not have this anxiety of proving their skills to or before anyone.
We adults can try to do the same thing. We can try and either create or find a stress free atmosphere for ourselves, in which to learn our target language.
Please allow me to suggest a few ways for that:
We all know how important practice is, when it comes to learning a language.
You can learn any language well, if you get enough practice; and age has got very little to do with this.
Allow me to present a couple of real-life examples:
Retired teacher Malabika Banerjee had learnt conversing in Spanish after adulthood. It so happened that her husband Sushanta Banerjee, an engineer, had to live and work in Venezuela for a few years in the 1970s, and she had to accompany him to the place with her son and daughter, who were very young, then. Opines she, “It is certainly possible for an adult, or even an elderly person, to learn a language well. Age does not matter much, here. What matters is environment; and practice. A couple of colleagues of my husband began speaking Spanish fluently – much better than us housewives – because they had to constantly interact with the people who spoke nothing but Spanish, there. And these Indian gentlemen were well into their late 30s or early 40s and had never spoken that language ever, in India! My son Aninda and daughter Paromita, too, spoke Spanish much better than I, because children often pick languages up deeper and faster than adults. A few families that lived in an area where there were hardly any Indians for them to interact with spoke Spanish better than us, who had a few Indian friends around with whom we spoke in our mother tongue or other Indian languages; one of the reasons why my Spanish was not as fluent as that of many of our friends’. However, regular practice is crucial, not only for learning a language, but also remembering it. Now that we do not speak Spanish at all, I can hardly remember it well, and the same must be the case with my son and daughter, who are adults now, and far away from that land and language.”
On the other hand, a young professional Arunima Sarkar who has done a formal, well-structured Communicative Spanish Course about a couple of years ago and even holds a degree, says she seems to have forgotten a lot of and about the language, just because she does not get to practise speaking in, or writing it much, now-a-days. And she is just in her early 20s! Arunima feels “It is all about proper and regular practice,” too.
What has happened in the case of Spanish can happen in the case of English or any other language, too; and as we can see, age does not have too much to do with it. It is all about exposure to the language, and practice.
Yes; this is an excellent way of learning a language, especially if you are an adult. What happens is: when you watch a movie, you not only hear words, but also get to see exactly what they mean, most of the time. For example, if you see a character in a film smiling in a peculiar manner, and you see another character asking him, “What are you smiling so sarcastically about?” You immediately learn to identify that kind of a smile as a sarcastic one!
In films you get to see places, things, situations, emotions that are not exactly the ones you might encounter in text books and regular life; and you get to know what they are called, too! You tend to retain it all better in your mind, because it is an exercise done in leisure and with pleasure, and it uses audio-visual medium that is simpler to absorb and remember.
Hearing songs in a language is an excellent way of picking it up. You get to hear rhyming words of various meanings; and even if you cannot understand the meaning of each and every word, you get the general idea and the mood of the song, from its tune (sad, happy, etc.) and accompanying music. Adults can remember those lyrics and try to formulate similar sentences, following that thread of grammar. It can become a very interesting exercise. Since there can hardly be any grammatical error in poetry or songs, following that string of grammar and usage can prevent you from going wrong, too!
One vital point that we need to keep in mind is that conversing on the same, oft-repeated topics all the time can tend to get boring and somewhat stagnant. In order to learn a language, we need to explore the various avenues of its words and expressions. There has to be a variety in topics that are discussed: literature, grammar, science, sports, cookery, arts… and many roles to be played, too! As an adult learner, learning can be made much easier, effective and interesting, through role play. You can request your teacher to play your interviewer one day, as you play the interviewee, and learn the correct words, pronunciations and expressions to use, while at an interview. Another time, you could play a sports journalist, interviewing your teacher on cricket, perhaps! This way, you get to learn so many new words, expressions, and nuances of your target language!
Learning a new language as an adult is actually great, because we can often have more time and maturity, to work in our favour. We usually have no exams or deadlines to face, and we can also get customized lessons to suit our particular levels and requirements. Now-a-days, we even have such apps that enable us to learn a language we need or wish to learn; and we can do so from the comfort and privacy of our homes, at our own suitable time, too! All we need to do is select the app that suits our purpose the best, and learn and practise to our heart’s content – and perfection.
Ritaja has studied English Literature up to the PG Level and been the Assistant Editor of a renowned magazine related to movies. She has also been a teacher of the English Language, Literature, and Communicative English. She loves Ethics, Literature, and Animals. If that can brighten lives, she tries her best to.
