What tools do I need to learn a language?
- Notebook
- Pen
- A dictionary - paper or electronic?
- Text book
- A teacher
- A native speaker
- A language environment
- Motivation
- Perseverance
- Time
Not all these are tools I guess. But what is the ideal package?
People argue about this a lot. There a long line of continuum separating the extremes. On one end you will find those who advocate immersion based on listening and copying. And this has merit given that's how all of us learned our mother tongue. The other extreme will stress the importance of a systematic language learning session presented, modeled and corrected by a teacher/tutor. This should be supported by a written text which is designed as a logical introduction to increasingly complex elements of the language. Grammar is often the focus, because it is perceived as logical and predictable, and it can be tested regularly.
The world is getting smaller and we are blessed with an ever-increasing arsenal of language learning resources. It is overwhelming, yes. But it need not stop me from achieving my goal of becoming fluent in Mandarin (whatever that means).
