The 3 Myths About Learning a Foreign Language: Learn German the Best Way

Having studied langugages for nearly 20 years, I’ve learned a thing or two about what works and what doesn’t.  Here are 5 common myths:

Myth 1: It’s impossible to learn a language fast.

Not true at all.  I know many people in adulthood who have picked up a language in amazingly fast time.  And no, they don’t all have IQs of 180!  In fact, most just have a valid reason, such as work advancement.  You just need the right motivation, and you too can learn fast.

For many language learners we have worked with, fluency implies an ease and fluidity of expression in the target language. And you would probably need to add to the mix ease in understanding everything said by others in the target language. Plus everything that you read. Plus perhaps everything you write in the new language too. The list could go on. We would agree that for most mortals it’s not possible to achieve fluency of this kind in a few weeks or months.

You CAN, however, achieve ‘conversational fluency’ in a matter of weeks or months.

Myth 2: It’s much easier to learn a language as a child.

a lot has happened in the last half century, and there’s been a substantial amount of new research that pokes big holes in the ‘critical period’ idea. It has fallen out of favor with psychologists and language specialists alike, which means you can no longer use your adulthood as an excuse not to learn a language. In fact, a number of studies have demonstrated the exact opposite: that when exposure time to a new language is controlled, adults actually learn FASTER than children!

This makes perfect sense. Think about it. Adults have a couple of obvious advantages over children who are learning their first language. Adults know infinitely more about the world; they understand that there are such things as ‘rules’ and ‘conventions’ and that these rules govern the way all languages work.

So don’t let this common myth stop you, whatever your age, from pursuing a new  language.  There are so many reasons TO learn a language–these myths are but a few erroneous reasons not to!

Myth 3: The best way to learn a language is to go to that foreign country and immerse, immerse, immerse…

Immersion is a very fashionable word when it comes to concocting language learning catch-phrases. And for good reason. Surrounding oneself with other native speakers and being forced to communicate in the target language most if not all of the time is a powerful way to learn a second language.

But here’s the thing: you don’t need to go to Germany to immerse yourself in German, Italy to immerse yourself in Italian, Korea to immerse yourself in Korean, and so on. This belief just puts another obstacle in your path, and gives you an all-too-tidy excuse not to take your language learning seriously in the meantime.

There are several reasons that undo the foreign country immersion myth. First of all, there are plenty of ways in which you can recreate – or ‘simulate’ – a productive sense of immersion in the language. That’s because you live in a digital culture where all kinds of resources from all kinds of places are available to you on your personal computer.

Secondly, it’s certainly not a BAD idea to immerse, but who has all the time and money to do this?  Moving to another country takes a lot of time and resources, and requires sacrifice like very few other things: you’re giving up time from your family and friends, time from your job, giving up precious savings…

So, you ask, what IS the best way to learn?

In general, the best courses will be able to combine:

1) the power of multimedia technology;
2) a clear and up-to-date method of instruction; and
3) a sense of enjoyment and play…

The best courses will also provide you with a suggested learning path, but at the
same time be flexible enough to allow you to do things your own way. They will
be invaluable in giving you simulated conversational practice when the real thing
is not within earshot.

For my money, Rocket German, by the fantastic Rocket Languages team, is the best, fastest, and most enjoyable way to learn German.  It covers beginner’s to advanced levels and costs far less than a beginner’s course (you can spend over 0 at most universities just to get the basics!), and about a 25% of the price of JUST Rosetta Stone Level 1 (about 0 just for Beginner’s German!!).

It’s a good deal, and one that any serious learner should jump on.

I hope this helps!  Enjoy whatever path you take, and good luck.

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