English as an island

Here’s how I like to picture the situation of people around the world trying to learn English:

Imagine the world as a globe. People live all over it, right? And then imagine English as existing somewhere on that globe.

Suppose that learning English is a matter of traveling from where you are to where English is. For instance, English might exist on one of the Hawaiian Islands up on a mountain. Then for most of us, we have a journey in front of us.

Our journeys are of different distances. They are likely to include travel over land and across water. We may share parts of our journeys with others, but really we each have to make individual trips. No two trips are the same.

We also have choices. Across land we may walk, run, travel by train, drive our own vehicles or take public transport. And across the water we may swim, paddle, go by cruise ship, fly over by helicopter or plane. There are all sorts of ways.

Some things we can expect to be fairly common among the world’s population. Most of us will set out on land, eventually face a sea voyage, and end with a climb. You could form an analogy with learning vocabulary, getting a sense of the grammar, and finally producing output.

So what is the point of this little story?

To point out, I suppose, that everyone’s language learning journey is different, but that most of our journeys have similar elements. And finally, I suppose, it serves to suggest that some itineraries involve more effort and time than others. And that by carefully selecting your mode of travel you can make the journey much easier—maybe even a pleasant experience.

Hey, maybe someone knows of a matter transporter!

“Beam me up, Scotty!” and . . .

Bon voyage.

Individualize what you do

The theme of individuality and individualization crops up often here. That's because it's so important with language-learning. One of the main reasons that a language should not be learned in a classroom is that it is difficult, if not impossible, to allow everyone to do their own thing in a confined space. Ask any teacher.

Your route and your methods must suit you. They need to be individually tailored. And the tailor must be you.

So you try something and see. You observe. You make an adjustment. In short, you tweak your way toward a system, or an approach, that works perfectly for you.

It must fit you like a glove.

It could take you as long as a decade or learn a language using a mass-produced approach.

It should take you only a year or two if you individualize what you do.

Accomodate your own individual style

Just as 塊ass-produced 衣lothes 旨患ll 丈nly 合it you to a degree, 以ompared 共ith individually-tailored garments, 然o 塊ass-produced 産roducts 兼nd 塊ass-administered methodologies 並nd pedagogies 旨煩ll 丈nly 占ake you 然o 遠ar. If we 憶hink 位競out 学earning style, then a starting 点oint is VARK. 

There was 別nother online 試est that 我 did that placed individuals along four continuums (continua?). 四我ur ranges, anyway. It said that if you found yourself towards 壱ne 完nd of any of the 四我ur then conventional teaching approaches were 騰oing to 因ause you problems. 僕 discovered that 我 was at the 端nd 無ot of 1 但ut of 三hree of these! Amazing that 我’ve done 並s 井ell as 我 持ave—共ith 就tudy 中n 総eneral. 

As 遠ar as 語anguage goes, 僕 must be ‘末失ose to the 縁dge’ 中n a greater 号umber of areas, 然o 僕e it is vitally important to 伝o along 共ith my 個ndividual 風tyle. 我'm reminded of David Bowie 誰ho died just a 希ew days ago. 彼e seems to 蔵ave listened to his inner 声oice his 全坑ole 命ife. 

驚onder if 彼e spoke 別nother 語anguage?

Demand this from a language teacher

I recommend that’ve previously advised you not to be taught by a teacher. In fact, I’ve advised you not to be taught at all; that will happen quite automatically if you do things right. And yet you may decide to ignore that advice.

Not to worry.

But do this one thing--not for me, but for yourself.

You must make a few demands of any teacher. There are certain things that you have a right to expect from that person.

Has he or she had any form of training beyond knowing the target language themselves? After all, you might enjoy a good meal, but does that mean that you know how to cook one? Knowing is one thing. Teaching is another.

Does your teacher know a second language, or is he or she in the process of learning one? Unless they do (or are) then they cannot have any understanding of what it is like for you as a learner.

Is your teacher training you to be independent so as to be able to continue improving after your course is done? Or do they expect you to take lessons from them forever?

Is your teacher treating you as an individual? Does your teacher understand that your style of learning may be quite different from the run-of-the-mill individual?

Is your teacher giving you new words to learn (wrong) or employing a grammar-heavy strategy (wrong again)?

Does your teacher give you ideas about HOW to learn?

Does your teacher pounce on your every error? They shouldn't.

Beat your own path

You beat your own path. No one else can walk it for you. You must bear the responsibility. You cannot expect anyone to know you better than you do, so you are the best (and only) person qualified to determine your particular way.

Liken the journey to learn another language to a journey, from wherever you happen to be now to anywhere else in the world.

We all start from a different place. We've each got different guidebooks, maps, gear, resources. We've got different destinations too; our intentions for our new language are not the same.

And so although we can get, and benefit from, other people's advice, it is general. It can only be rough and ready for us, no matter how precisely it was given.

We may share parts of the trip with other people, and even parallel much, or even most, of what others do, and yet the journey must be individual.

Social IQ

You need to be clever here. Learn a language in line with your personality. That is, if you are shy then don't ignore that. Don't go against the grain and force yourself to speak out aloud and in front of others.

If you're a loner then work on your own.

If you hate to speak on the phone in English, then don't practice telephone conversations or visit Skype.

You don't need to. There are dozens of ways to learn apart from such methods.