What Good Language Learners Can Teach Us
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They are constantly looking for patterns in the language
-Many language learners absorb only what they are taught in class about the language; if the teacher or their textbook hasn't yet covered that point, they shut their minds to it. The good language learner is constantly analyzing, categorizing and synthesizing their new language. They know that learning a new language is a very complex matter -- like putting together the pieces of a huge jigsaw puzzle. They absorb what they are taught in class, but they are also actively involved in discovering where new pieces fit in to the overall picture. And so they are constantly trying to find schemes for classifying the information they have gathered.
They are a systematic organizer
-The poor language learner often lacks a planned and systematic approach to acquiring the language, and hence fails to reach a reasonable standard of performance. The good language learner, however, recognizing the magnitude of the task, sets down a plan of campaign, dividing their study program into attainable goals, and organizing regular times for study. Then they systematically record what they learn about the language -- whether pronunciation, grammar or vocabulary -- so that it is readily available for reference.
They are willing to experiment with different learning methods
-The poor language learner, upon discovering that the way they were taught to learn the language has proven ineffective, complains and gives up! The good language learner tries out different approaches to acquiring the language, chooses those that work for them and discards the rest. They also note how other people learnt the language, trying out their methods to see if they are suitable for them.
They make errors work
-The poor language learner is so afraid of making mistakes that they say nothing until they are sure that they can say it absolutely correctly -- and that day never arrives! The good language learner knows differently. They recognize that errors are a part of the learning process itself and looks upon them as a potential source of information, as well as a way of improving their language skills. They not only note their errors, but also try to understand why they made them and how to avoid making them again in the future.
They are a friendly initiator of conversation
-For many language students, it must be the other person who initiates a conversation before communication takes place. The good language learner knows that it is best if they start the ball rolling by initiating the conversation with a question or comment. And by doing it in a warm and friendly tone of voice, they find that the other person is usually very happy to chat with them.
Conclusion
-People often say, "Extroverts get the language much more easily than introverts." This is only partly true. Extroverts do have the advantage of being less shy than introverts, but they often lack the discipline and determination that learning a language requires. The person who succeeds is the restless searcher after clues -- one whose mind is constantly looking for the thousands of pieces in the jigsaw that will eventually fit together to complete the puzzle. They understand how to use the people all around them to help reach their goal of fluency in Chinese and hence successfully integrate into the local community.
This article is adapted from 'What the Good Language Learner can Teach Us' by Rubin & Thompson
