Learning a foreign language and english to hindi is an exciting activity. But, even if you are full of enthusiasm and determination to learn a language, you will inevitably encounter various difficulties in the process of mastering it. For example, you will not understand speech well by ear, or it will be difficult for you to deal with this or that grammatical topic – or you will simply get tired of the flow of information and want to take a little break. The good news is that all of the above, as well as many other things, are easily fixable. The bad news is that there are things that are not easy to deal with. One of them is the language barrier.
You have studied the language for a long time, and in general you know it well, but at the same time, the need to use the language in communication puts you in a stupor. In an almost physically tangible stupor, when you are lost, stutter, and can not squeeze out a word. Familiar? I hope no! If you are unlucky and you have a language barrier, let’s try to figure out what could be the reasons here.
First, the unwillingness to be in the role of a student again. It would seem that continuous learning is one of the modern realities. There is much more information now than there was 20-30 years ago, and the pace of change is such that, willy-nilly, you have to constantly learn. But, nevertheless, there are those who feel uncomfortable learning something new. Often these are quite mature people, 40+, who have been in responsible leadership positions for many years, and for whom the inability to do something well is a sign of weakness and incompetence. It seems to them that when they cannot formulate their thoughts in a foreign language, what is called lose face.
Secondly, strong introversion and shyness. There are those who, in principle, find it difficult to interact with others, especially unfamiliar people. If the task of communicating in a foreign language is added to natural closeness, then a person can close and begin to avoid communication in every possible way.
A common cause of the language barrier is perfectionism, the syndrome of an excellent student. For those who are used to always doing everything perfectly, it can be difficult to come to terms with the fact that they will never succeed in speaking a foreign language flawlessly, especially at the initial stage. The only way to learn a language is to experiment with it. And experimenting means inevitably making mistakes.
It is the inadequate attitude to mistakes, in my opinion, that is the main cause of difficulties in this case. Accordingly, one of the main goals of the teacher is to explain to the student that it is absolutely normal to make mistakes when learning a foreign language. Mistake is not a sign of language incompetence or poor preparation for classes, it is an integral part of the learning process. It is possible that the fear of making a mistake did not arise from scratch. Since the school bench, many have entrenched the connection mistake – bad grade – censure. While it should be different, namely, a mistake is an opportunity to learn something.
Listen to a speech by any polyglot. They all say the same thing: start speaking the language as early as possible, even when you know only a couple of dozen words, and don’t be afraid to speak badly. In any case, speaking with mistakes is better than eloquent silence! I’m not saying that mistakes shouldn’t be corrected. It is necessary, even very much. The main thing to remember here is that errors are different, and they also need to be corrected in very different ways.
Also, one of the reasons for the appearance of a language barrier may be a fixed habit not to speak a foreign language, but to translate from their native language. Many teachers, especially those working within the framework of the communicative approach, try not to use the students’ native language in the classroom at all. I am not at all against the use of my native language, especially at the initial levels – but only in those cases when it is really expedient. The main thing is to understand from the very first lesson that there is not and cannot be a direct correspondence between languages. A thought can be expressed in another language in a completely different way than in the native language, using a completely different vocabulary and grammar. No need to try to translate – you need to find a way to express your ideas using the knowledge that you already have. Translation is just crutches, which, for some unknown reason, a person who does not need them at all wants to use!
How to overcome the language barrier? Since it exists exclusively in the head, it is necessary to rethink some of your life attitudes. Learning new things at any age is normal. Talking to people is really not scary at all. Making mistakes means acquiring new skills and knowledge.
Teach and learn with pleasure, and let no barriers arise in your way!