Observing how children learn can be a fascinating  experience. While it is true that most children have lots of free time, the luxury of being totally immersed in a language, and their own personal tutors (their parents, family, and peers), it doesn’t mean that adults can’t adapt some of their behaviors when it comes to learning a new language. Below are some of the behaviors I have started to implement into my practice that are based on my observations of how children learn.

Make Mistakes

Mistakes are a crucial part of the learning process for any subject you are learning. However, it is so easy to get caught up in your feelings or let your ego get in the way when you make a mistake. When learning a new language, a child will butcher words and phrases because they are trying to figure out how to communicate.  When they are corrected, many of them just note the correction, try again, and move on.  As easy as this sounds, accepting that you are going to make mistakes and being corrected can be hard for many adults, including myself.

I have to remind myself that the tinge of embarrassment that I feel when I make a mistake is an ego problem. I know that I prefer to be corrected than continue to say something wrong.  My favorite phrase now is “Embrace the mistake.” This phrase was partly inspired by Kathryn Schulz, writer for the New York Times and a self-proclaimed wrongologist. During her TEDtalk she asked the question, “What if; instead we embraced the wrongness as the thing that most helps us connect with the people around us?” It is a powerful question and I highly recommend checking out her speech to learn more.

Stay Curious

Children are very curious about why something looks a certain way and if they can interact with what they come in contact with. Curiosity allows them to learn with all of their available senses. Reinvigorating our curiosity as adults opens up a new world in the environment that we are currently in. Familiar objects become interesting again because they have a different name in the language we are learning. By staying curious and open to receiving information from many sources, you are allowing yourself to enjoy the process.

Socialize

It is always sweet to see a child run into a playground and start playing with children they have never met before. In that moment, you see people come together for a common purpose – to have fun! The bonus is that they learn about new people, their environment and themselves.

Interacting with people that speak the language you are learning, or who are also learning the language, are great ways to expand your horizons.  You might find out about different language resources, get a speaking partner and/or make new friends. The possibilities and benefits are endless. 🙂

Hopefully, this post has inspired you to let your inner child come out while you are learning a new language. It can be so freeing to let go of your ego and I encourage you to give it a try. I would love to hear about any methods you are using to learn a language. Feel free to let me know in the comments or by sending me a message.

Þakka þér fyrir að lesa og sjáumst fljótlega! (Thank you for reading and see you soon!)