How did you learn English? Did you take classes? No, of course not.You were just a baby after all when you started hearing it. HEARING it.
When we are tiny little humans, we are listening to our parents and family members speak our soon to be Native language. This language isn't in our DNA. We acquire it.
A short story to explain: My parents couldn't have children, so they adopted us. I was born locally, but my brother was not. He was born in New Mexico. My parents traveled there to pick him up. When they returned and the family gathered to celebrate,one of my dad's aunts asked them "How are you going to teach him English since he's Spanish?" Hmmmm. Well that is both an intelligent and silly question. How would they teach him their language?
How did THEY learn English? Of course my brother had been exposed to some Spanish language from in the womb and maybe even after his birth. He was also exposed to some English in the hospital. He was only 2 weeks old when our parents met him. Language doesn't come from the DNA, genes that I am aware of, but from the environment or the home. WE learned English because we had English speaking parents. Bi-lingual children are learning two languages from birth, or at least Kindergarten. So, we LISTEN to English speakers. We HEAR the words. My brother speaks English then took Spanish in school.
Babies are developing in many areas at once. As we get older, we no longer need to learn to eat, use the potty, sit up, walk, etc... We already know this stuff. So, then we start speaking. We use our voice to repeat words. As we enter the school years, we start learning to read and write letters, words, phrases then sentences. So then we learn to create paragraphs and stories. We practice spelling and learn grammar rules. We learn new vocabulary in a variety of ways, but usually it's orally. "What's that?" and we point to the motorcycle. "It's a motorcycle."
For a young child, learning a foreign language is easier so says scientific findings. We absorb things quicker before age 8. So we teach them how to SAY words by speaking to them- they HEAR us speak. They are LISTENING to a language. Then we have them repeat it- they are speaking the language. SPEAKING. When the child fully develops the reading, writing, spelling and grammar skills in English, we then can introduce the FOREIGN language in writing. They will see the words they have learned in the new language.SEEING. SIGHT. Lastly, they will start writing the words, practice spelling and grammar rules. This is how we teach and learn our native language and should use this approach to teach foreign languages to children imho. It's natural to them.
When people are older, we no longer need to learn at a slower pace. We mature and so does our brain. We like to multi-task and each of us have an individual learning style. For myself, I like to learn to read and write a new language before I start speaking with listening last. Every adult is different but this is what works for me. We are able to read, write and spell at the same time now since our brains have learned a few things. We start learning grammar rules. When we start speaking, we have to re-train our tongues to bend to the new language and to also break some habits we have formed by only speaking English. When we start speaking these new words, our brain starts hearing them. Sometimes we mispronounce these new words. Our ears are LISTENING and HEARING a new language. We are setting a ground work for listening to others speak the language to us. When we are being guided by a teacher, tutor, or curriculum we can control what words and vocabulary are being used for conversation. But, when we talk with a stranger or someone on a different learning level, we do not have control over what they will say to us. We can't prepare or predict the conversation. THIS is the final step in total immersion in the new language. THIS is where fluency comes alive.
This is the point where you start watching television shows, movies, listening to audio books (read along with them) and having spontaneous conversations. Some topic conversations are a good starting place before you go full blown random with them. Are you ever going to be 100% fluent? Hard to say with the way languages change and grow with every new generation. Will you be able to communicate? Yes, and that's what it's all about. Not rules, not spellings, not correct grammar but communication with other humans. Do your best, be patient with each other. Have FUN!
I tutor online using Skype. I offer 30 minute sessions for $ 4.00
I offer English for Intermediate and Advanced students of all ages for conversation practice only, Spanish for beginners, German for beginners.
Thank you for considering.
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