I have been thinking about this question for a long time. The more languages I learn, teach and use, the less satisfied I am with the simple idea that your mother tongue is simply the first language you learned. It is certainly the language that came first for most people. But I think something else […]
What actually makes a language a mother tongue? Read More »
I have heard the advice many times over the years: if you want to learn a language successfully, learn like a child. There is an appealing simplicity to it. Children seem to absorb languages naturally, without worrying about grammar, vocabulary lists, pronunciation exercises or whether they are making mistakes. Adults, by comparison, often seem to
Adults Don’t Learn a Language Like Children Read More »
One thing I have noticed repeatedly when working with Spanish-speaking professionals is that their professional knowledge is often considerably more advanced than the English they are able to produce in real time. This can be difficult to recognise because, from the outside, it may simply look like an English mistake. For example, I have heard
Your professional thinking may be ahead of your English Read More »
