Most of us have met adults who claim that they are ‘no good at languages’ or ‘do not have an ear for languages.’ They have often made several ill-fated attempts to learn a new language and, as they have become older, their resignation to failure has become even more entrenched and internalised, thus limiting their options regarding travel, cultural exchange and fun. The challenge for those of us who are language teachers is how to help such people to ‘get back in the saddle’, have another go, and experience both pleasure and success.
A key starting point in such situations is to identify the generic and person specific factors that have inhibited success in the past or might promote it in the future. Engaging the potential student in this process of analysis can be particularly rewarding.
Many academics (see P. Lightbown and N. Spada, How Languages are Learned, 2013 edition) do indeed acknowledge that having an aptitude for second language learning is a factor contributing to success, as is the age of the student. However, this relates to the speed of acquisition and degree of proficiency, rather than to absolute success or failure. With the right sort of program and level of support, anyone is capable of making satisfying progress.
Research suggests that there are several factors that may undermine progress, including the following: an inappropriate teaching methodology, poor quality teaching, negative past experiences, the fear of making mistakes, poor motivation, unrealistic expectations.
Conti, G. explores the importance of engendering resilience and perseverance but these qualities themselves require enabling features to be present, all of which can be promoted by an effective teacher. (Resilience and perseverance in the foreign language classroom – Inhibitors and catalysts, 2015). He suggests that the following factors need to be in place: a communicative learning approach, carefully constructed learning opportunities, realistic and shared goals, incremental and comprehensible input, early success, recognition of preferred learning styles, encouragement to take risks. Effective teachers will have the skills required to address these points and provide appropriate learning environments..
A final thought. When encouraging adults to get back in the saddle, we may also need to discuss with them a range of individualised challenges and opportunities, including the need for a different saddle, or even a different horse!