You Can Learn Another Language (Summary)

You Can Learn Another Language (Summary)

A well known American magazine called Awake! interviewed youths from different countries to find out what they had to say about the challenges and the benefits of learning a foreign language. At the beginning of the article titled “You Can Learn Another Language” one of the youths express that to learn a language is one of the best decisions that someone can make in life. Certainly in many countries people are currently studying languages for many reasons. However there are questions to make, such as what is it like to learn a new language as an adult? What can help a person to learn? So, if a person is learning a new language has to consider some important qualities which were pointed out by the interviewees in the mentioned article.The first quality is “patience”; those who want to learn must be patient because learning a new language takes a long time. Likewise, “humility” is essential because when someone is learning a language has to know that could be treated as a child and it is due to the low amount of words that can employ during any conversation. So the student does not have to be worried for making mistakes, instead they help to improve step by step. Also “adaptability” is necessary, because mind has to adapt to the new code and the different points of view from other people and culture. In this sense it is very important to interact with people who speak the language and keep the interest in their food, music, hobbies, etc.One important fact mentioned in the article is the “practice”, the more time you spend using the language the faster your progress will be. For that reason it is recommendable to listen to music, to see movies, to play flash cards, to read texts or to construct a word list. At last the desire to learn and to help others is a powerful motivation to learn a language.Nevertheless, the article observes that student can get in a phase where it seems there is not any progress; the person feels stuck on a plateau, and then does not see any improvement in learning. In this case, is necessary to “have reasonable expectations”. According to the book “How to Learn a Foreign Language”, surely, anyone may never be able to pass for a native speaker; however, the point is that the student needs to be able to speak and to understand in order to communicate and interact with others properly. Secondly, looking for milestones to gangue progress; this means that when the student looks back toward when first started to study will realize that the improvement of skills has increased.Thirdly, “view the process as a long term investment”. It is necessary to consider that for a child it takes several years to acquire the language, then an adult person, what can hope? Therefore, learning a language is the result of a complex process. Fifthly, the article states; “use the new language as much as you can”. Then, the student has to follow three key steps: to talk, talk and talk in order to get an effective communication. Never mind if it seems like there is no progress or achievement, many times feeling stagnant or stuck in the middle of the frustration can also motivate to keep on learning.At its last part, the article also makes mention to other people that could be involved in the student’s learning process. “What can those who already speak the language do to help a learner?” Bill, one of the interviewees, advises, “Speak slowly but correctly, not in baby talk.” Julie says, “Be patient, and don’t finish sentences for the learner.” Also, some students have asked their friends to speak only in the new language at certain times, so they can improve their skills. Finally the article based on different opinions shows that learning another language is worth the effort because it broadens the thought about life and helps to view things from other positions and points of view.

Personal Opinion

As I could see in this article, communication is a complex matter. More if we talk about the learning of a foreign language like English. Nowadays, the modern tendency is toward breaking down linguistic walls, by using different methods, techniques and strategies and mass media have played an important role in this issue. According to a report I read on the internet from the Encyclopedia Britannica, English is now spoken as a primary or a secondary language by 1 person in 7. Thus, it is the most widely used lingua franca in the world. People that can use it has an secure access for wider communication and the exchange of beneficial information. In spite of Spanish is also a very wide lingua franca in Latin America and other parts of the world, in spite of it offers to those who can use it an open world of opportunities to knowledge and other personal benefits, in spite of we are lucky because we can speak Spanish; English offers the possibility to make yet wider the ways toward a better knowledge and point of view about the modern world in which we are involved. So that, learning English is a certain challenge to face because it is not an easy work, it is necessary to keep on practicing, reading, talking, etc. then, the article offers some interesting actions to take in order to improve the skill if a person want to learn a foreign language.

Ubaldo Gandica
For further information visit this site:
http://www.watchtower.org/e/200703a/article_01.htm