| The Horse, as I wrote previously, is spoken | | | | The difference that has been noted between |
| fluency. I made the point that long before | | | | children and adults trying to acquire a |
| they go off to first grade, children already | | | | second language is that those who learn the |
| have a high degree of spoken fluency in their | | | | language before puberty generally will have |
| native tongue before they learn the parts of | | | | no "accent." They do not sound like an |
| speech or memorize grammar rules. It is my | | | | English speaker when they speak Spanish. |
| contention, and the premise of this book, | | | | |
| this is exactly what you need long before you | | | | The reasons for the noted accent factor |
| enroll in a formal foreign language course. | | | | between adult and child learners may be due |
| Long before you begin to learn the difference | | | | to developing brain issues and to the |
| between the preterite and imperfect tenses in | | | | individual learning experiences of the child |
| Spanish, you need to be using them with the | | | | versus the adult. |
| same degree of fluency that a Mexican | | | | |
| first-grader does when he goes off to his | | | | The research specifically shows, as an adult |
| first day of school. | | | | gets older, there is NO diminution in the |
| | | | ability to learn. Unless there is a disease |
| Ok, calm that heart rate down. Don't get all | | | | process with the hearing or vision, or unless |
| twisted in a knot over this. What I am | | | | there is a mental impairment, there is no |
| suggesting is highly possible. If you have | | | | reason why an adult cannot learn a second |
| the time and the money-and yes, it is going | | | | language and become fluent. It is a myth that |
| to cost you-you can engage in the same | | | | adults cannot learn a second language. That |
| process to learn Spanish that you did when | | | | is not to say there are no adult-related |
| you learned your native language. | | | | difficulties in learning a second language. |
| | | | There are indeed some adult-related |
| Look at the cost factor to which I just | | | | difficulties but they are not what you think. |
| alluded. What would you rather do? Would you | | | | |
| rather spend a small fortune that could pay | | | | The biggest difficulty in an adult, and I am |
| off the national debt of some small "third | | | | talking even those as young as college-age |
| world" country in books and tuition for | | | | adults, learning a second language is an |
| classes which are not designed to teach you | | | | emotional issue. Adults have bought into the |
| spoken fluency, or would you rather spend the | | | | popular myth that because they didn't learn |
| money on something that will work? Having | | | | Spanish as children, it is too late for them |
| said that, let's take a look at the Horse. | | | | to begin now. |
| Let's also look at how children learn their | | | | |
| native tongue as well as how they seem to | | | | I recall reading a study about language |
| learn a second language faster than adults. | | | | instruction at Harvard where students |
| | | | routinely put off their foreign language |
| That children seem to learn a foreign | | | | requirement until their senior year. Some got |
| language faster than adults is not | | | | so freaked out that Harvard had to develop a |
| necessarily true. | | | | therapy resource to help students get through |
| | | | their required language courses. Some |
| I have gotten into many a verbal | | | | universities developed a Bachelor's of |
| "knock-down-drag-outs" over this very issue. | | | | General Studies degree program just so |
| Most Americans are convinced that children | | | | students could avoid taking a foreign |
| can learn a foreign language faster than | | | | language. That is how frightened and |
| adults can. Have you not heard the very same | | | | paranoid Americans are of learning another |
| thing? This is the standard excuse of those I | | | | language. |
| meet who express the dream of expatriating to | | | | |
| Mexico but who are firmly and inextricably | | | | It is an emotional issue that prevents adults |
| convinced because they are in their 60's, | | | | from trying and succeeding to learn Spanish. |
| they are UNABLE to learn a second language. | | | | |
| | | | Researchers Krashen, Long, and Scarcella |
| The wonderful truth is that what you've | | | | showed that, |
| always heard about children being able to | | | | |
| pick up a language faster than adults is | | | | "Studies comparing the rate of second |
| SIMPLY IS NOT TRUE. It is not too late | | | | language acquisition in children and adults |
| because you are an "older learner." | | | | have shown that although children may have an |
| | | | advantage in achieving native-like fluency in |
| Most new studies show when an adult learner | | | | the long run, adults actually learn languages |
| is involved in the right method of language | | | | more quickly than children in the early |
| instruction, he learns the foreign language | | | | stages. (Krashen, Long, and Scarcella, 1979: |
| faster than a child. If an adult is immersed | | | | The Older Language Learner by Mary |
| in the correct method that teaches the second | | | | Schleppegrell, Ph.D)." |
| language in the same manner in which he | | | | |
| learned his native tongue, he will learn the | | | | The conclusion this study draws is adults can |
| language faster. This assumes the absence of | | | | develop a working ability in the target |
| some sort of organic disease process in the | | | | language much faster than a child can. |
| adult. | | | | |
| | | | NEXT: Some Really Bad Science! |