3 Misconceptions of Language Learning — Multilingual & Philanthropic Inc.

Hello everyone!

If you read my Meet the Founder page you probably know I speak eight languages. This might seem like a lot for the average person, but I promise you there are a lot of resources to help you out if adding a new language to your speech is something you intend to do. When I tell people this, there's always a statement made with varios reasons why foreign language learning is too difficult to accomplish themselves. All in all, these are three common misconceptions I've debunked.

I don't have time

As someone who taught themselves the majority of the languages they know, this is a lie. I can understand how the older we get, the busier we get, but it's not impossible. There are plenty of ways to incorporate language education into your everyday life. If you have time to watch Netflix when you get home, there are so many foreign films to choose from. Most series and films will give you the option to change the audio or subtitle settings to train your brain to listen and read in your target language.

If you enjoy music, there are so many artists to discover in almost any language you want to learn. There's also podcasts you can listen to while you're commuting to work or school. I know there's plenty of fun apps you can use. If you enjoy reading books, find some with a translation in your target language or find some authentically written books from countries that speak that language. There are even videos on YouTube where you can learn languages while you sleep!

One of the techniques I use is changing the language settings on my phone so I'm used to reading in that language. Over time we become familiar with our devices enough to be able to navigate it regardless of what the language is.

Everyone speaks English

According to Babbel, this is not true. English is only the third most widely spoken language in the world while only less than 25% of the world actually speak it, not to mention many of which are NOT native English speakers. In many countries, English is spoken only by a small percentage of the population; so next time you travel, think about how much better your experience will be if you can understand the natives. I'm going to be honest with you, without foreign language proficiency, you might as well be oblivious to what natives could be saying about you right in front of your face.

From a personal standpoint, it can make a huge impact on another person to find out someone understands their language. Being able to speak to others in their own language can change how they relate to you because you're speaking to their hearts. Nelson Mandela once said, "If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart," You have no idea whose life you could touch simply because you took the time to learn a language and be familiar with a culture outside of your own.

I'm too old to learn a new language

This gets me every time because it doesn't matter how old you are, our brains are designed to help us communicate with other human beings. At my age, I've developed a strong connection to primarily 2 languages, but with the other 6 I've chosen to learn, it's still a process I'm working at every day. The reason why it can feel so much harder is that when we're children we repeat sounds we hear even if it doesn't make sense until we grow up and perfect our skills, but as we age we become more self-conscious and become perfectionists. In some ways, I understand that it can take a lot of patience, and a lot of time but it's not impossible.

I hope this eliminated some of your excuses as to why you've not gotten around to learning that language you've always been wanting to speak. You'd be surprised what kind of opportunities might arise with foreign language proficiency. You might be able to pick it up quicker than you thought, but you won't know until you do it.