We learn language by ear as small children. But is it more difficult as an adult? If so, how do you mitigate that?

1. Questions :

• Q1: We learn language by ear as small children. But is it more difficult as an adult? If so, how do you mitigate that?
• Q2: What are the particular challenges of learning a language that isn’t written down?
• Q3: write a short paragraph discussing your own way (as a language learner) to develop your receptive and productive skills.

1. Answers :

1) Q1 : We learn language by ear as small children. But is it more difficult as an adult ? If so, how do you mitigate that?

ð we learn language by ear as small children  but it is more diffcult as an adults despite the fact that adult brains are far more developed than children's. Recent research suggests that children's immature prefrontal cortex actually helps them acquire new languages with little effort; the process is more deliberate, and inefficient, in adults. Still, adults can adopt some strategies that have been shown to mitigate those difficulties and boost the acquisition of new skills and knowledge and the most effective are :

a) To know about ourselves  and our goals : we have to think  about how we  will use that language and list the situations in which we  expect to use that language and the skills we will need in those situations.

b) Using new technology in language learning : Dmitrochenkova has a great idea: “A funny thing like resetting the language on your phone can help you learn new words right away,” she says. Ditto for changing the language on our browser. W  can also seek out more structured learning opportunities online. Dutch translator Els De Keyser recommends Duolinguo for its gamified approach to grammar, and Anki for memorizing vocabulary with its “intelligent” flashcards.

c) Think about language-learning as a gateway to new experiences.eg: Spanish translator Sebastián Betti, learning a language has always been about focusing on the experiences that the new language would open up, from “visiting theme parks, attending air shows, enjoying cowboy poetry and folk-rock festivals, to learning about photo-essay techniques.” In other words, he thinks of fun things that he wanted to do anyway and makes them into a language-learning opportunity

d) Make new friends. Interacting in the new language is key, it will teach us to intuitively express our thoughts, instead of mentally translating each sentence before we say it.we can try to find native speakers near us . Or search for foreign penpals or set up a language tandem online, where two volunteers help one another practice their respective languages.

2) Q2 : What are the particular challenges of learning a language that isn’t written down ?

ð The particular challenges of learning a language that isn’t written down are :

a) Oral tradition compromised : which was one of the last languages to be affected by non-native contact, so our oral tradition has only recently been compromised.

b) Lack of practice opportunities or no consistency when using english writing conventions to represent a different language.

c) Communication : fear of speaking with strangers or cannot recognise the phonemes in others languages partly because they are just unable to hear the unfamiliar sounds.

d) Privacy : we may not appreciate each other’s individuality and embrace different pronunciations. With standardization, we might lose that personalization or writing our language down also offers a path for outsiders to potentially exploit cultural knowledge intended only for Native people

3) Q3 :  A short paragraph discussing your own way (as a language learner) to develop your receptive and productive skills.

ð   Nowadays the Internet provides numerous possibilities for students to improve, Polish and master their English language skills and that was my main way to develop my production and reception skills. As for my respective skills, it was through reading fiction literature where the choice of books is enormous, from historical adventures to mainstream and children's books. It was the best way for me to relax and learn new vocabulary ,on the other hand, films and youtube tutorial channels were the ideal way for me to master my listening skills. Besides that I tried to develop my productive skills by using the language exchange app eg Preply and HelloTalk talk to native speakers, so they can teach me their language while I teach them mine via text, voice messages, voice calls and even video calls which not only helped me to learn the language, but also it made me explore new culture and make foreigner friends.