When adults decide to improve their English, we often talk about motivation, goals and learning methods as though these existed independently of the person doing the learning. I don’t think they do. You have an ego. Not necessarily in the sense of being arrogant or self-important. You have a sense of who you are. You know—or […]
You Have an Ego. It Matters. Read More »
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 »
