The path to fluency
Everyone’s path to fluency is unique – and rarely straightforward. We don’t simply start at point A, then logically proceed to point B, then C, D, E all the way to points W, X, Y, and Z at a steady pace. We may even start at point A, move to B and then do nothing for years and be compelled to return to A again as a ‘False Beginner’, as in my own French learning experience. Or we may whizz to point F and get ‘stuck’ there for years at what we describe as the ‘language plateau’. In fact, if we take Z to be adult native level proficiency, we may never actually reach this end point, assuming Z actually is our intended goal, which it definitely does not have to be. And again, even when we do reach point H, M, Q or wherever, we may still have to go back and have a look at what we missed, or misunderstood, from some earlier point, say C, E or G to ‘fill in the blanks’, as it were.
The alphabet metaphor aside, this kind of stop-start, back and forth activity is a natural learning path and nothing to be fearful of or embarrassed by – not everyone is a polyglot genius picking up languages like they're seashells on a beach. Such multilingual individuals are to be admired for their incredible skill, but most of us mortals need to work hard to learn a language to fluency. There are uncountable numbers of these human language sponges all over the Internet telling you about, and selling you, how you can be just like them and learn a language in just six weeks. Yes, in six weeks you will be fluent, just like I was! It sounds great, doesn’t it? Some magic method no one ever told you about, as though all your teachers at school were deceiving you and secretly there was always a more efficient way to go about this; a real knack, a clever tricking of the brain releasing some latent skill and knowledge hitherto hidden by old-fashioned institutional thinking. It’s a bit like a fantasy action movie where the everyday guy, a nerdy teenager perhaps, is really a sleeping assassin, although even he doesn’t know this until some violent event triggers his amazing martial arts skills previously suppressed by brain washing, a bump on the head or a sinister drug. Once unleashed he is a modern day superhero, a demigod of a grittier silver screen era who goes about dispensing justice for the little man. But, of course, this is nonsense dreamt up by unimaginative Hollywood scriptwriters tapping into our individual needs to be more than we actually are – playing on our own disappointments with ourselves perhaps.
"Not everyone is a polyglot genius"
And there is our language learning magic bullet, also, perhaps. You may try some of these speed-learning methods. If one of them works for you, great. I am truly pleased for you, so please continue what you’re doing. But too often these quick-fix methods don’t have any more impact then ‘regular’ methods, and so you return to feeling like a useless dope who just can’t learn languages, although now with a bunch of expensive materials that were, in fact, and despite the upbeat sales talk, not much better than what you had tried before. Boy do you feel stupid – twice over.
But this is incredibly harsh. You are not unusual or alone. Most language learners I have met or taught have worked very hard to reach a high level of proficiency, especially here in Asia where I live and work. And the methods they used to get there are not universal. We know no two learners are the same, so how is it possible that one learning method is going to work for all? It isn’t and language experts, that is those who are trained and have read up on the subject, know this and will tell you, if you ask. Sadly, the Internet gurus shout louder, so they get the attention and the money. But knowing that no one method works for all, means you have to work a little bit harder to find the method that works for you. I am sure there is a path to fluency out there for you, but you need to search for it. You can get ideas from teachers and other learners, but at the end of the day, only you will know what works for you. And once you have found what works for you, go with it and keep going. You may need to freshen it up occasionally and try some other ways, but just keep moving and don’t pressure yourself to be at point P or U or W at any particular time – get there when you get there. Along this learning journey you will have various adventures and detours and, from time to time, hit a bit of a wall, or that plateau I mentioned. That’s fine. Take time. Check out the scenery of this stop-off and before long you’ll be back on the path again towards your ultimate goal. Enjoy the trip!
