Learning a new language

Write new words down and say new words or phrases out loud

In PRE-COVID times, Alex Sanford travelled internationally for work and always tried to learn some basics of the primary language for whatever country he visited.

The Canaan, Kings County man thought it would be a fun challenge to learn a language a little more deeply, and Spanish seemed like a good choice. It’s one of the most common languages, it’s used in several countries, it’s considered one of the easier languages to learn as a native English speaker, and he also has some co-workers who speak Spanish, which may be helpful for practice down the road.

Although Sanford didn’t start learning Spanish while travelling, with more time during COVID, he took the opportunity to start digging into the language more deeply.

Now, Sanford spends time every day using the Duolingo app, completing two or three lessons, and keeping up his over 150-day streak.

“I’m mostly learning just for fun at this point and for a challenge,” said Sanford. “I would love to at least get the basics, but also build a foundation so that if I want to achieve more proficiency down the road I won’t be starting from scratch.”

Like Sanford, Kerri Leier from Hantsport, takes 10 minutes every day to learn Gaelic. She, too, uses Duolingo, which she said is great for reading, responding and translating.

“I would eventually like to be fluent enough that, if I visited Southwest Ireland, I could speak it and respond to it,” she said. Plus, as a teacher, she knows she can’t teach in Ireland without it, so learning the language is something that’s been on her bucket list to learn for quite some time.

APPS OR TEACHERS

Like Sanford and Leier, many people have been motivated to use their extra time during COVID to learn a new language, primarily by using apps to guide them.

Krista Bittenbender Royal, armed with a master’s in applied linguistics, has been teaching language learners in various contexts for almost 20 years.

Although she doesn’t use language apps herself, she has family members who do, and she thinks it’s a good free resource.

“I like that it tracks progress and gamifies the learning experience to make it fun,” said the Kentville woman.

“I don’t think this app is particularly useful for promoting natural production, but as a tool to learn new vocabulary, phrases and structures it’s good.”

If you can pair the app with additional input, like audio or text, and have some interaction with someone else in the target language, that combination would be more effective than using the app alone, adds Bittenbender Royal.

In terms of additional apps or programs, Rocket languages (online) is available at many libraries for free. Babbel and Rosetta Stone are perennial favourites but are pricey, she adds. There are also many language videos available through Youtube.

Instead of using an app, Katie Keddy of Woodville, Kings County has been spending time with Spanish tutor Gabriela Lencina-jaldo to learn Spanish, as many employees on their family farm are from Mexico. She would like to have some basic skills to converse with them.

“It’s a stark difference learning a new language as an adult compared to when I learned French as a child in immersion,” said Keddy.

CHILDREN LEARN EASIER

When it comes to whether it is more difficult to learn a second language as an adult, Bittenbender Royal said the jury is still out when it comes to the research.

The Critical Period Hypothesis, developed in the 1960s, suggested that younger learners could pick up a new language easier, but there have been many subsequent studies that put that claim into question, she said.

Experience learning new things, being organized about learning, and having good fluency in one’s first language are all assets for learning that adults have, explains Bittenbender Royal. Motivation and time are critical elements, as well.

An adult who is a good selfdirected learner, has a strong motivation, and dedicates the time can make huge gains, she adds.

The one area that seems to be most affected by age is pronunciation, but Bittenbender Royal encourages people to make comprehensibility the goal, not perfect pronunciation.

TOP TIPS

When beginning to learn a new language, Elizabeth Huether, a volunteer English language tutor based in Summerside, P.E.I., with the Prince Edward Island Association of Newcomers to Canada, says to set realistic goals for your learning. Know why you are learning a new language.

Determine if your goal is just for daily conversation or to write a proficiency test,

said Xin Tong, who teaches Chinese in the Mount Pearl, N.L. area.

• Practice daily

Then, practice daily, or at least regularly or frequently, said Bittenbender Royal. Make a schedule based on your goal, adds Tong.

“Who can’t find 15 minutes a day? Consistency wins always,” said Suzanne Milner of Windsor, outside Halifax, who is using Duolingo to learn Italian for dreams of future travel or as a means of conversing with international students she hosts.

• Use several techniques

Read, listen and do productive tasks, too, said Bittenbender Royal. Write new words down in a vocabulary log — by hand is best for memory, she says — and say new words or phrases out loud.

“Just thinking isn’t the same as actually vocalizing the words and phrases,” she said.

Consider using your body to act out a word so the movement is associated with the word.

“These active strategies get us using different modalities that aren’t just receptive and help build stronger neural connections,” explains Bittenbender Royal.

• Challenge yourself just enough

Choose activities that are appropriate to your level, said Tong.

Beyond this, you need to know your level and aim to get input (reading, listening) that is just above it, adds Bittenbender Royal.

“You want to understand most of it, but not all. For words and phrases that are new, use context clues to guess and infer meaning. This kind of active learning is better for acquisition,” she said.

Be careful not to look up every unfamiliar word or answer without making an educated guess first, suggests Bittenbender Royal.

“You want your brain to be making connections. Just looking up a word doesn’t have as much impact.”

• Use what you love

Learn a language through things you like to do, said Chunyan Zhu, who offers private Chinese language lessons to school-aged children in St. John’s, N.L.

If you love music, you may try to pick up some Chinese through listening to pop songs; if you love watching movies, you may try to pick up some language from watching some Chinese movies, she said.

• Practice with someone

Make some friends who are native speakers and have conversations with them as often as possible, said Tong.

Learning by spending time immersed in a new language for short periods of time, such as in classes or in friendly conversation, is very helpful, adds Huether. Tutors and friends help us grow in feeling comfortable using the new language and will correct our mistakes with kindness.

Practising speaking a new language in a safe place is the way to increase your confidence in using it, she said.

Bittenbender Royal agrees, adding that finding another learner at a similar level or someone fluent in the language, or anywhere in between, is a big help. The goal is for you to actually use the language to talk about something or complete a task.

“Oral language development precedes everything else and while Duolingo and other apps will give some support there, nothing replaces a real situation and a partner that’s working at language, too,” said Laun Shoemaker, a Grade 4 French immersion teacher in Beachy Cove, N.L.

By speaking the language, you’ll get feedback, explains Bittenbender Royal.

“This doesn’t mean corrective feedback per se, but if someone looks confused, you may need to rethink what you’ve just said and try to say it another way,” she said.

If working with another learner, choose some activities or exercises to work through together. The negotiation of meaning that happens when interacting in the language is extremely helpful for learning. This interaction doesn’t have to be in-person — virtual works, too.

Overall, the goal is to find any excuse to use your new language skills and have fun, said Bittenbender Royal.

Try to be comfortable taking lots of linguistic risks. Too often, she said, people are too hesitant to use their new skills, which only holds them back.

“You will make mistakes, but that is part of the learning process,” she adds.

And, as Huether says, have patience with yourself while learning.

Gambarimasu!