To Pick Up A Language

After teaching foreign languages in secondary grammar schools for forty years, I know that there are differences. Some pupils hear a word once and never forget it, others try to learn it again and again but it doesn't stick. Yet, the age at which you learn a language is important. Watch immigrant children, they learn a new language in no time. Their parents will often never master it although they're also in constant contact with it. Linguists have found out that up to the age of 12 it's possible to learn a language perfectly (exceptions prove the rule, of course). I had pupils who knew up to six languages. Not all with the same level of perfection, of course. For example: Hungarian, Serbian, German, English, French, Russian. Or: Armenian, Arabic, German, English, French, Spanish, Italian. Enviable! They're the new world citizens. I know German, English, Italian, Russian, a little bit of Turkish.

I can pick up music fast, but I need to have music to read to do so at least. Language I struggle with, I have a cell app that was free that's like rosetta stone a bit, that I've worked on for almost a month, most people would be much further than me, but I'm terrible remembering languages, working on spanish atm

I have no talent for language at all. I can understand English and Mandarin, but my spoken languages are so bad that others are struggling to understand. I think some people are just good at picking up languages.

In the end, I think it depends on your dedication and interest. I'm very interested in learning languages so I pick up languages easier. If there's a foreign word I see but don't know, I look it up and find out where it's from and what it means. For those who don't really have an interest in learning languages, it'll never stick with them.

I agree with @MALUSE some people do not need to spend hours on the books, they listen the word once and remember forever. I am in the middle, I know Italian, English, French, Spanish and a little bit of German.

It is as Malu says good to learn when you are young, I taught my daughter to speak French from an early age. She is now quite fluent and is grateful I did. She used to hate it at one stage when she was around 9 years old but always replied to me but in English. I would dearly love to learn Italian something I intend to do when I retire!

You have a station in life and whatever that is you sure have reached there by learning. There is not everything one can learn

Languages that are latin based seem to be easier for me to catch on. Even so, I don't seem to retain as much as I used to. When I was in my late teens and early 20s the Spanish language came to me so easily but now, while I can read it and somewhat understand it, I couldn't give you a full sentence. I know a few things in Dutch, Italian, Spanish, French, Sign Language.

I love learning new words and use them in other languages. My favorite books are dictionaries.

I pick up things but I don't speak a second language. I can speak/read some French, I know some German (can count to 100 easily), I can understand some Japanese sentences and words, know a few words in Spanish, and I used to be able to read what Korean symbols say, but I have no idea what words they mean. When I was over in France on my school trip I absorbed sentences just by being in the country, speaking French that my teacher was shocked to hear (that it was correct and advanced, it wasn't dirty). She was amazed because she never taught us that. Of course, I was 16 at the time, and when you are young you pick things up quickly.

Music teachers really need to realise this and not treat those who can't as morons. So with language teachers, of which I am one. I have no problem picking up languages, but don't ask me to do even simple arithmetic.

I would love to be better at languages too. The only real way to learn is to immerse yourself by going to the relevant country.

Still learning english. Don't worry I'm trying. Lol

I have a flair for languages and I am fluent in three and can manage another two - siva

I have always considered a language easier to learn if you are in a country where that language is spoken, otherwise it can be quite difficult. For example, I was taught Spanish for a few years at school. They would provide me with words such as Abierto for Open and Cerrado for Closed, but a week later it was hard to remember which was which. Had I been in Spain at the time I would have seen those words displayed in shop windows and doors at the appropriate time of day, thus embedding the meanings into my mind quite easily.

Language learning, like musical ability or even mathematical skills, artistic ability, etc. These are things we can all do a little, but some people truly have a gift for them.

Everyday exposure to the language is necessary.You must use it frequently.It may be difficult to master a language in classroom.