The In’s and Out’s of Language Learning

 Learning a second language is a feat not for the faint of heart. It is a long process that requires a great amount of work. Learning a language requires “total commitment, total involvement, a total physical, intellectual and emotional response” are needed in order to acquire a second language. The author H.Douglas Brown stated “few if any people achieve fluency in a foreign language solely based within the

confines of the classroom.

             In other words, learning a second language requires hard work, determination and perseverance. Thus, the definition of language must first be determined. According to dictionary.com language is “a body of words and the systems for their use common to a people who are of the same community or nation…” This definition will help the student understand what it is that they are embarking on in their learning journey. It is also important to learn what language is. Once they understand that, the learning process may go by smoother. However, what is learning? According to H. Douglas Brown learning is “acquiring or getting of knowledge of a subject or a skill by study, experience, or instruction.” There are some keep elements that can be extracted from the definition above for further examination.  Those elements include:

Ø  “acquisition or getting”

Ø  “involves active, conscious focus”

Ø  “some form of practice”

Ø  “change in behavior”

The phrases above can give a student a small idea as to what is needed when trying to learn a second language. There are a number of approaches when it comes to language learning. Those approaches will not be touched upon in this article.  However, regardless of your language learning style it’s important to reiterate the need to spend time daily practicing and reinforcing information viewed. Listening and reading is important in order to increase the amount of input information being received. Finally, take responsibility for your learning. It is your learning process and the one who wants to convert from novice to expert…is you.