How do people really learn their first language? We don’t know everything about how infants learn their first language, but there are a couple of things we do know for sure. Beyond these, all we can really say is that people construct understanding from experience.
First, they spend years literally immersed in the sounds of the language, starting before they are even born!
Second, they have very compelling reasons to learn a language (e.g.: survival). You could even say that they don’t have any other option but to learn it.
These two factors (massive input and compelling motivation) are not only a part of learning a language, they will determine whether or not it happens at all.
These two factors (massive input and compelling motivation) are not only a part of learning a language, they will determine whether or not it happens at all.
You may have heard people claim that learning a language is easy for young children. It’s not true. Learning a language requires a tremendous amount of focus and practice at any age. So what does that mean for adults? Can they learn a second language “the same way they learned their first language”? My answer: only if they have compelling motivation that makes them want to endure massive input.
For some people, their curiosity provides enough motivation to learn a new language. Others may have external circumstances that make learning a new language a necessity (like immigration). But you don’t have to fit into one of those two categories to have success learning a language.
The trick is to use existing interests to motivate yourself. You don’t have to focus your energy on learning to parrot dialogues, memorizing different names for all of the countries in the world, or endlessly conjugating irregular verbs in the pluperfect. You should do things you already enjoy, like: listening to music, watching movies, reading books, and talking to real people.
So where do language learning programs fit in all of this? Well, the only ones worth your time are the ones that help you get the most out of the music, movies, books, and relationships that you really want to enjoy. That is why Language Possible courses are designed to prepare you for authentic experiences and make sure you get the most out of them.
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