Learn A New Language. Why Is It So Difficult For Us?

It is normal that at first it is difficult for us to assimilate concepts in a language unknown to us, but we should not be discouraged. Beyond learning a language, we will be strengthening our mind

When we are young, it is very easy for us to learn a new language, since we are in a stage of growth and learning. However, throughout our lives and for different reasons, we will need to learn other languages ​​and it may not seem so easy.

There are plenty of reasons why you want to learn another language: knowing new cultures and ways of thinking, obtaining greater job opportunities, personal growth, among others.

Although we invested money in attending academies and in private tutors, we did not achieve the fluency that we so longed for.

There are factors that we have not thought about and that have an important influence on learning a new language. Recognizing them and starting to solve them will be very important for our efforts to begin to bear fruit.

Learning a new language can be difficult

Learning a new language brings us many benefits. It improves memory, attention span and enhances the development of certain areas of our brain that are involved in language.

But this is not all, did you know that learning a new language protects us against neurodegenerative diseases? This is because learning keeps the mind active and improves cognitive flexibility.

However, despite all the perseverance, patience and effort that learning that language requires, we are still unable to do so. Why?

A study by researchers at McGill University in Montreal has shown that success in learning a new language depends on the connections in our brain, which vary from person to person.

However, the director of the research, Xiaoqian Chai, assures that the results do not conclude that a person is conditioned by their brain when it comes to learning a language successfully and that the brain can be modeled through learning.

Next, we will talk about the difficulties we face when we set out to learn a new language in adulthood.

The memory of our home

When we move to another country to learn a language, we like to discover people from our native place or those who speak our mother tongue. However, this can be an impediment to achieving fluency in the new language we are learning.

On the other hand, we feel nostalgic for our origins. For this reason, many people refuse to acquire the new accent imposed by learning a new language and this can become a barrier.

The shame of making mistakes

This problem may not be present in all cultures but, in some,  making a mistake or speaking badly causes us a lot of shame.

In some cases, people are proficient in writing, listening, and reading, but lack the ability to speak because of this dread of making a fool of themselves. We are in the process of learning a new language and we will make mistakes, it is normal!

However, this can be a very important problem, since the person refuses to practice oral competence in the other language, which prevents proper learning and development.

Focus only on one competition

In some schools, grammar is given priority over speaking proficiency. In others it is the other way around. Talk and talk is preferred, without paying attention to knowing how to form well-constructed sentences or to understand what is heard.

This can make the task difficult, as there will be loose ends that have not been worked on. What is the use of knowing how to speak if later we do not know how to write or read? It is important that there is a balance in order to achieve fluency.

Lack of reading

The best way to avoid spelling mistakes and to acquire new vocabulary is to read. However, in a new language this can be daunting.

Discovering that there are many words that we still do not know and that reading is going to take us much longer can throw our motivation to the ground.

Therefore, it is important to read a lot, but do it by levels of difficulty. Start with a very basic level book and build it up as we go along.

Of course, you have to know how to manage that stress that sometimes will invade us because we cannot read with normal fluency.

Have fun

Find a way to learn that is fun so that the task of practicing every day will not seem tedious. Learning a language takes dedication and perseverance. So why not have fun while we learn?

If you like cinema, you will enjoy watching the movies in their original version. You can start by putting the subtitles in your language and then remove them when you are ready.

You can also find a friend to practice with, you can go for a walk or have a drink. As you meet new people, you will improve your fluency in the language you want to learn.

To conclude, learning a new language takes a lot of work. We cannot pretend to know English, French, Portuguese or any other language from one day to the next. We need to practice it every day, letting go of the fear and frustration that will discourage us and urge us to quit.

Patience, practice and motivation will allow us to learn much faster than we think. Let us embrace error as an effective way to assimilate knowledge and face this shame that is of no use to us. It is a useless feeling that, far from producing any benefit, will delay us in our learning.