Missouri State University

Skip search and site index

Good Language Learner

What is a good language learner?

Here are some attributes that are sometimes claimed to be characteristic of good language learners. Which ones seem the most important to you? Click on the attributes in italics for further information.
Inside and outside the classroom, good language learners...
Good language learners have the following personal characteristics...

Inside and outside the classroom, good language learners...
seek out opportunities to use the language in meaningful interactions
YES! People who take an active approach to learning and who seek out chances to use the language are much more likely to succeed than those who don't. The best kind of language practice involves you in expressing, interpreting and negotiating meaning. In meaningful interaction, whether it takes place in speech or in writing, you experience the forms of the language in a context that helps you to understand how to use them appropriately.
Return to the top

are willing to practice
YES! Language learning requires a lot of exposure to different contexts where the language is used, and a lot of practice of various kinds. The key is to vary the kinds of practice you do, and to practice in ways that are as meaningful as possible.

repeat words and phrases until they form good habits
MAYBE. Imagine that you have memorized the following dialogue and repeated it until you can say it perfectly:
Vendor: May I help you, Madam?
Customer: I would like to buy a pair of thick soled shoes, please.
Vendor: We have several styles. Right this way.
Unless you are planning to sell shoes in your second language, you will probably have to wait along time before you get to use the exact sentences in the dialogue. There are probably some aspects of language learning that are enhanced by pure imitation of correct use. For example, there are certain set phrases that are used in social routines, such as "May I help you, Madam?" It is helpful to memorize such phrases if they can help you to sustain interaction in the language. However, the main problem with this explanation is that language use is almost always creative. When you use a language, you create innovative utterances or sentences that you probably have not heard or seen before in the exact form you are using. You cannot get everything you need in order to use a language from imitating others; you also need to develop competence that will allow you to choose and use your own words.

Return to the top


are uninhibited
MAYBE. It is certainly true that fear or ridicule or failure in the classroom prevents many adults from getting the kind of language practice they need in order to succeed. We sit in the back row, stare at the textbook or hide under our baseball cap when the teacher might call on us to speak. One infamous study of inhibition in language learning (Guiora 1972) involved two groups of students at a large midwestern university. One group received cups of plain fruit punch, the other group received cups of fruit punch containing one and a half ounces of vodka. After drinking the punch, the students went to a language laboratory and did an exercise involving pronunciation of words in Thai. Sure enough, the experimental groupof vodka drinking students performed significantly better that the control group. We can gather from this study, whatever else we may think of it, that there may be some value to shedding your inhibitions when you practice a language.

Return to the top
are patient
YES! Despite the proliferation of "designer methods" of language instruction, and the promises we read about commercial materials in airplane magazine ads ("Speak like a diplomat in only 6 weeks!"), language learning takes time. In fact, language learning is a really lifelong pursuit. Whenever you learn something new, even in your native language, the new learning usually comes with new language. For example, if you learn how to repair airplane engines, you also learn all the technical terms that you need to discuss engine parts and functions, and you learn appropriate ways to interact with other people who do that job. Language learning is domain-specific, which means that every individual has ability only in those areas about which they are knowledgeable and in which they are able to function. This means that no one ever has all of the competence that is possible in any language, first, second or subsequent.
Research on the time it takes to become competent in a foreign language relies on specific operational definitions of language competence. Such research has been carried out in the context of foreign language learning by employees of the United States' government who need to use the languages in carrying out their professional duties. Speaking ability is measured using a scale that defines different levels of functional capability, from 0 (no functional ability) to 5 (ability equivalent to that of an educated native speaker). Level 3 is the minimum ability for professionals to function in their jobs, and requires that people be able, for example, to speak in extended stretches of talk  in the past, present and future, to express opinions and to negotiate in complex social situations. In the experience of the agencies involved, it takes different amounts of time to reach Level 3 in different languages, depending upon how distant the language is from English. Just to get a feel for this research, consider that it takes a people judged to have superior aptitude an average of 720 hours of instruction to reach Level 3 in Group I languages such as French, Italian and Spanish.Such achievement is also possible for Group II languages such as German.(Liskin-Gasparro 1982). Care in interpreting this information is necessary, because it relates to a particular learning setting and population whose characteristics we may not share. Nonetheless, these data do suggest that patience is a useful virtue for  language learners, and that people who really want to learn should make time for language-related activities, such as reading or joining a conversation group, outside of class.

Return to the top
make errors in their language use
YES! Most contemporary experts on language learning believe that errors are a natural and inevitable part of the language learning process. In the early stages of learning especially, the only way to avoid making errors is to avoid using the language to create your own speech or writing. Since we know that language use is the best vehicle for language learning, we can see that errors, if they are made in the process of trying to communicate, are actually useful. Learners make errors from several different sources, to name a few:
-reliance on the native language
        e.g., "Throw the cow over the fence some hay." where the native speaker of Pennsylvania German has used German word order rules in an English senence.
-overuse of  a second language rule
        e.g., "I eated my dinner." where the speaker has applied the past tense ending -ed to an irregular verb
-use of a socially stigmatized form
        e.g., "I ain't got none." where the speaker has used a form that exists in native speaker usage but the form is   considered improper
-the current stage of development
Researchers studying second language acquisition have discovered that learners seem to go through predictable stages in acquiring the ability to use certain complex structures of their adopted languages. An example of a documented developmental sequence is to be found in studies of how learners of English as a Second Language learn to form questions.
At stage 1, learners do not use any of the grammatical resources for asking questions in English, relying instead on rising intonation:
            He work today?
At stage 2, learners may use question words such as why, what, or how, but they don't invert the subject and the verb"
            Why he work today?
At stage 3, learners invert the subject and verb in every question, whether or not inversion is required:
              How can you say it? but also Do you know how can you say it?
At stage 4, learners differentiate between simple questions with question words, and embedded questions of the same type, and only apply inversion where it is required:
            Do you know how you can say it?
(Source: Larsen-Freeman and Long, 1991,p, 93)

Passage through these stages seems to be an inescapable part of learning to use the language, although the transition can be accelerated by instruction and by similarities between the native and the second language. As a learner, it may comfort you to know that some of the errors you will make can be interpreted as showing progress (not regression) in your language development. These errors are a natural consequence of the way your mind works when it encounters a complex linguistic problem, and works out the details of the problem over time.

Return to the top
pay attention to the forms of the language
YES! The fact that errors are practically inevitable does not mean that you should be complacent about paying attention to the correct forms of the language. At the beginning, it is often too difficult to pay attention to forms while you are simultaneously struggling to understand what is being communicated. Over time, however, as your competence increases, you will be able to refine your language ability if you continue to notice the difference between your language use and the language use of more expert speakers.

Return to the top
study grammar to improve their speaking
MAYBE. Studying grammar will probably improve your knowledge of grammar, and this may indirectly help you to speak the language. When you are talking, you usually have very little time to make conscious decisions about which form of the verb and what preposition you should use, even if you are a whiz at verb conjugations and aware of all the rules about prepositions.   Most experts acknowledge that there is some kind of difference between speaking proficiency and grammatical knowledge. Where they differ is in explaining the relationship between those two abilities. Some believe that there is no relationship at all between knowing about grammar and being able to use it, others believe that grammatical knowledge can turn into speaking ability through a process of autoimmunization. Many experts take a middle stance, arguing that when you know grammar you are more likely to use it to understand the language and to monitor what you say. It is this by this indirect route that your knowledge of  grammar eventually helps you to speak.

Return to the top
search for meaning in listening and reading
YES! Focusing on comprehension first, before analyzing the forms in question, seems to be a winning strategy for many learners. In order to acquire language you need to understand it, and many language learning experts prescribe large amounts of comprehension practice as a means toward achieving the ability to produce the language. If you are determined to gain proficiency in a language you should try to find ways to spend as much time as possible reading and listening for pleasure in your adopted language.

Return to the top
use their native language to help them learn
MAYBE. The native language is often a valuable resource for language learners, especially if the language they are learning is structurally similar or if the two languages share common word roots. It is worthwhile to make conscious use of the language knowledge you already possess for example, when you are trying to guess the meaning of a word in the foreign language. But the native language is also an important source of errors (although by no means not the only one), when learners transfer features of the native language that are not characteristic of the second language.

Return to the top
ask for clarification when they don't understand
MAYBE. Some language acquisition researchers believe that the optimal learning situation involves "negotiation of meaning" where learners, in the course of interaction with a more competent speaker, encounter language that they do not understand. If learners ask for clarification, or try to check their comprehension, that language or aspect of language is made available for acquisition in a naturally ocurring, normal context. The learner can then find out not only what the formmeans but also how it is appropriately used.

Return to the top
do not feel anxious
MAYBE. It is well known that many classroom learners feel anxious about their performance in class, especially now that so many language teachers are trying to provide communicative instruction and instruction emphasizing the speaking skill. If you experience anxiety that is so debilitating that you cannot perform, then you should consider seeking help from your teacher and should definitely review how your learning style relates to the instruction you are receiving. On the other hand, a little bit of anxiety can facilitate learning, if it is just enough to keep you on your toes, and prevent you from getting bored.

Return to the top
Good language learners have the following personal characteristics...
have high self-esteem
PROBABLY. Self-esteem is important because learning a language is a process that is influenced by the emotions. Especially in the early stages, learners need to be able to handle the fact that they are not as competent socially in their second language as in their first, and cannot present themselves completely or sometimes even adequately in social situations. Learners who have high self-esteem are able to overcome this problem, for example by focusing on the progress they are making, or by appreciating the humor inherent in the situation. But self-esteem in language learning is a "chicken and egg" kind of thing: success fosters self-esteem, which in turn fosters success, and so on. For this reason, researchers have not been able to sort out the different factors well enough to prove a relationship between language learning and self-esteem.

Return to the top
have high I.Q.s
MAYBE. People with high I.Q.s tend to be good at the kinds of tasks required in school. It is relatively easy for them to develop what Cummins (1979) terms Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP). However, language use also involves other characteristics that are not typically emphasized in schooled learning, such as good interpersonal skills, empathy for other speakers, the ability to perceive subtle differences in sounds, and the like. Language learning, therefore, also requires Basic Interpersonal Skills (or BIPS, according to Cummins) using forms of social intelligence that are not measured by I.Q. tests.

Return to the top
start learning at an early age
MAYBE. On the surface, young children seem to be phenomenal language learners, often appearing to dramatically outperform their parents with the speed and accuracy of their learning. However, empirical observation reveals that claims about the excellence of child language learners are based on weak evidence. It is true that younger learners (those who begin learning before the onset of puberty) do tend to develop higher levels of ultimate attainment, perhaps in part because they have more time than adult learners. They also tend to do relatively well in acquiring native-like pronunciation. But older learners begin with several distinct advantages: knowledge of a first language, knowledge of the how the world works, awareness of the structural features of languages in general, to name a few. Several reseach studies have shown that these advantages make language learning faster and more efficient for older learners, at least in the beginning.
When we compare children with adults, we also need to take into consideration the qualities of the learning environment and the expectations people have of how we talk. Speech to young children tends to be fairly easy to understand because it relates to the here and now. This means that children can easily identify the topic of conversations, and can map words to meaning with relative ease.Speech to adults, on the other hand, can involve abstract topics that cannot be easily associated with whatever is going on around them. Remember, too, that children tend to have fewer domains oflanguage competence than adults: no one expects a three-year-old to discuss the crisis in the stock market or to exercise a profession using appropriate language.

Return to the top
are extroverts
MAYBE. The common understanding of extroversion is that an extroverted person is outgoing, even gregarious. But psychologists define extroversion in terms of how our psychological needs are met. Extroverted people require affirmation from other people instead of finding it within themselves: they are not necessarily more talkative than introverted people, whose sense of self tend to come from within. Both personality types have advantages in language learning, and studies comparing them have not been able to prove that one is better than the other. This said, American classroom culture tends to value the learner whose participation is most evident, that is, the one who talks the most, and experts do suggest that practice in speaking is important in the development of communicative competence for face-to-face interaction. Learners who are naturally oriented toward social interaction may get more such practice than others. But introverted learners can and do learn just as well as extroverted learners by paying attention to the interaction that is going on in the classroom and concentrating on what they need to learn. Participation, in other words, includes both overt talk and quiet attentiveness, and both are valuable for learning.

Return to the top
are tolerant of ambiguity and willing to guess
PROBABLY. One dimension of cognitive predisposition is the extent to which people require clarity and compartmentalization in their thinking. Some people prefer to think in black and white, while others are more willing to tolerate grey areas. Language learning can cause stress for people who have difficulty tolerating ambiguity because it can present facts that seem contradictory for a time, until they are worked out with further learning. For example, in Spanish the verb "to be" has two different forms that are used for different reasons:
    Juan es alto. John is tall. (Tallness is a permanent characteristic of Juan.)
    Juan esta enfermo. John is sick. (John will presumably get better...or worse,but in any case his state of sickness is                  considered transitory compared to his state of tallness.)
    *Juan esta alto. (Can't be said unless you mean that John's height is somehow subject to change, like Alice's size after              she went Through the LookingGlass.)
It takes quite a while to learn how to use both of the forms of the verb appropriately. In the meantime, people who can put up with grey areas while still continuing to function are at a clear advantage.

Return to the top
are aware of their own learning styles and strategies
MAYBE. Recent research on cognitive style suggests that learning can take place in a number of different ways. For example, some learners prefer visual information, while others are more likely to learn by hearing, and still others are better off when physical action is involved in learning.  Research on learning style in the classroom shows that the best case scenario occurs when your learning style matches the activities proposed by your teacher. It can be very helpful for language learners to develop awareness of their preferences in learning, if only to compare them with the kinds of learning experiences they are receiving in the classroom. For information on learning style, visit the site of the Summer Institute of Linguistics LinguaLinks Library of resources for learners:
http://www.ethnologue.com/LL_docs/contents.asp

Return to the top
are motivated to become members of the second language community/want to use the second language for their career
MAYBE. The "classic" studies of language learning motivation (Gardner and Lambert 1972) define two basic types of motivation. Integrative motivation refers to the desire to emulate members of the second language speech commutity, to become as much like those people as possible and eventually even to join the community of second language speakers. Instrumental motivation is the desire to use the language for some purpose, perhaps related to a profession or other specific work-related task. Although it would seem intuitively appealing to judge the integrative motivation as more effective, the findings of the studies do not present clear cut results. Motivation may be another "chicken and egg" phenomenon, ever changing in response to the access we get to new experiences and information. We may begin our study of German out of admiration for German people and their accomplishments, then in the course of study learn about the instrumental value of proficiency in German, which then becomes the source of our primary motivation. Alternatively, we may begin with the express purpose of developing language ability as a tool for work, then as we study, as stereotypes are dispelled, and as personal relationships with German speaking people develop, our motivation may become more integrative.

Return to the top
References:

Cummins, J.1979. Cognitive/academic language proficiency, linguistic interdependence, the optimal age question and some other matters. Working Papers on Bilingualism 19: 197-205.

Gardner, R. C. and W. E. Lambert.1972. Attitudes and Motivation in Second Language Learning. Rowley, MA: Newbry House Publishers.

Guiora, A.,et. al. 1972. The effect of experimenally induced changes in ego states on pronunciation ability in a second language: An exploratory study. Comprehensive Psychiatry 13.

Larsen-Freeman, D. and M. Long. 1991. An Introduction to Second Language Acquisition Research. London: Longman.

Liskin-Gasparro, J. 1982. ETS Oral Proficiency Testing Manual. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service.

Books about language learning for non-specialists:

Bialystock, E. and K. Hakuta. 1994.  In OtherWords: The Science & Psychology of Second Language Acquisition. New York: Basic Books.

Brown, H. D. 1991. Breaking the Language Barrier. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press, Inc.

Lightbown, P. and N. Spada. 1993. How Languages Are Learned. New York: Oxford University Press.

Rubin, J. and I. Thompson.1994. How to be a More Successful Language Learner. Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle.